tear
1 Americannoun
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a drop of the saline, watery fluid continually secreted by the lacrimal glands between the surface of the eye and the eyelid, serving to moisten and lubricate these parts and keep them clear of foreign particles.
- Synonyms:
- teardrop
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this fluid appearing in or flowing from the eye as the result of emotion, especially grief.
to shed tears.
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something resembling or suggesting a tear, as a drop of a liquid or a tearlike mass of a solid substance, especially having a spherical or globular shape at one end and tapering to a point at the other.
little tears of morning dew.
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Glassmaking. a decorative air bubble enclosed in a glass vessel; air bell.
verb (used without object)
idioms
verb (used with object)
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to pull apart or in pieces by force, especially so as to leave ragged or irregular edges.
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to pull or snatch violently; wrench away with force.
to tear wrappings from a package; to tear a book from someone's hands.
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to distress greatly.
anguish that tears the heart.
- Synonyms:
- afflict, shatter, crack, break (one's) heart
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to divide or disrupt.
a country torn by civil war.
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to wound or injure by or as if by rending; lacerate.
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to produce or effect by rending.
to tear a hole in one's coat.
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to remove by force or effort.
to be unable to tear oneself from a place.
verb (used without object)
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to become torn.
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to make a tear or rent.
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to move or behave with force, violent haste, or energy.
The wind tore through the trees; cars tearing up and down the highway; I was tearing around all afternoon trying to find sandals for the beach.
noun
verb phrase
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tear off to perform or do, especially rapidly or casually.
to tear off a poem; to tear off a set of tennis.
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tear into
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to attack impulsively and heedlessly.
He tore into the food with a will.
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to attack verbally.
She tore into him for being late for dinner.
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tear down
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to pull down; destroy; demolish.
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to disparage or discredit.
to tear down one's friends behind their backs.
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tear at
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to pluck violently at; attempt to tear.
She tore at the bandages until they loosened.
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to distress; afflict.
remorse that tears at one's soul.
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tear up
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to tear into small shreds.
He tore up the drawings because she had criticized them.
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to cancel or annul.
to tear up a contract.
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idioms
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tear it, to ruin all hope; spoil everything.
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tear one's hair, to manifest extreme anxiety, grief, anger, or frustration: Also tear one's hair out.
I'm so upset, I could just tear my hair out.
noun
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a drop of the secretion of the lacrimal glands See tears
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something shaped like a hanging drop
a tear of amber
verb
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to cause (material, paper, etc) to come apart or (of material, etc) to come apart; rip
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(tr) to make (a hole or split) in (something)
to tear a hole in a dress
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to hurry or rush
to tear along the street
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(tr; usually foll by away or from) to remove or take by force
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to cause pain, distress, or anguish (to)
it tore at my heartstrings to see the starving child
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informal to be angry, frustrated, very worried, etc
noun
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a hole, cut, or split
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the act of tearing
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a great hurry; rush
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slang showing a sudden burst of energy
Synonym Usage
Tear, rend, rip mean to pull apart. To tear is to split the fibers of something by pulling apart, usually so as to leave ragged or irregular edges: to tear open a letter. Rend implies force or violence in tearing apart or in pieces: to rend one's clothes in grief. Rip implies vigorous tearing asunder, especially along a seam or line: to rip the sleeves out of a coat.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tear1
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun ter(e), Old English tēar, tēor, tehher, taeher; cognate with Old High German zahar, Old Norse tār, Gothic tagr, Greek dákry, Latin lacrima; verb derivative of the noun; see also lachrymal
Origin of tear2
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb teren, ter(e), tern, Old English teran “to tear, rend, bite, lacerate,” cognate with Dutch teren, Old High German zeran “to destroy,” German zehren “to consume,” Gothic ga-tairan “to tear, destroy,” Greek dérein “to flay, skin”
Explanation
When you tear something, you rip it apart. You might tear a hole in your jeans if you catch them on something sharp, or you might tear up that love letter you wrote to your crush. The verb tear often refers to pulling something apart or making a hole — and has a noun form that describes the result of those actions — but it can also describe quick movement. If you tear out of the parking lot, you’re driving very fast. When you use tear in these ways, pronounce it to rhyme with hair. Another word, tear — what you do or produce when you cry — is spelled the same but pronounced to rhyme with peer.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In the southeastern city of Lyon, police fired tear gas to disperse several hundred people in the city centre blocking a road during an unauthorised gathering.
From Barron's ● Nov. 7, 2026
Not only has Luka Doncic been on a scoring tear, but Luka has been getting back on defense and even raising his hand when a foul is called on him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026
More distant rocky objects can survive the initial upheaval, although gravitational disturbances may eventually tear some of them apart.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
European gas prices in particular have been on a tear and Aker BP’s location on the Norwegian continental shelf and exposure to the European market has helped drive earnings higher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
I saw them tear the pulp with their teeth just as I’d done, chew it, and drop the hard black nuts to the ground.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
As you cook the salmon and vegetables, whether it’s on a cast-iron griddle or a hot grill, stay close so you can keep turning the skewers and brushing them with your homemade tare.
From New York Times ● Aug. 6, 2022
Teriyaki is the most well-known style of tare, a Japanese marinade or glaze frequently paired with grilled meats, and you’ll make a version of it for the chicken.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 24, 2019
He also had to deal with the unfortunate spoilage of his prized tare, the fermented, umami-rich sauce that Chiou had been nurturing since the neighborhood restaurant debuted last year.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 18, 2019
Each bag includes the tare weight to ensure you pay only for what you are buying.
From Slate ● May 7, 2018
By such lessons did I become acclimated to scientific calculation in even the meanest function, so learning the secrets of tare and gross.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
Footage posted online showed blazes tearing through homes in the communities of San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Backup pilots safely landed the plane in Saudi Arabia after it dived at one point near the speed of sound, tearing away part of its rudder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Ellison snapped up the palatial pad back in 2021 for $80 million with the intention of tearing it down.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
Now bend the paper into a cylinder without stretching or tearing it.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
After tearing off a chunk of bread, she said, “What are you doing here?”
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Our Andrew Beaton has spent four years covering the saga, which tore the golf world apart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026
At 60-7 at lunch, former opener Warner, who retired from Test cricket in January 2024, tore into his former team-mates.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
When I handed him a dollar bill a few months ago, I gasped as he tore it up like a piece of scrap paper.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
He bought and tore down 10 of them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Junior took off running across the meadow, and I tore off behind him with Sal at my heels.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
"Our homes, the graves of our loved ones, our olive trees, our lands -- it all risks being torn from our hands," says Nejla Isik, pointing to the area on a map.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
"It's hard to admit when you've really screwed up," the billionaire, 85, wrote on Instagram after she deleted a photo of herself in ripped jeans, a torn sweater and a dirtied face.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the "whole of Spain is grieving", adding that "lives have been shattered, families have been torn apart, the pain is immense".
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
His legacy was torn asunder by the Great Depression.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Even Granny Mallon in an old woolen nightgown torn up the side was propped up against the stone wall.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
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