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 2006, the St. Louis Cardinals finished 83-78 in the regular season, before going on an 11-5 tear in the postseason to win the World Series.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
He threatened to tear down the venue after a judge ruled this week that his name cannot be added onto the building's exterior.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
It is just 12 months since Kerr's world title defence was ended by a calf tear in Tokyo.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
During three seasons as the Rams’ offensive coordinator, Mike LaFleur said McVay established strong foundations but also used his tireless energy to encourage assistants to tear down tried-and-true concepts and build them back, sparking innovation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Sam poked out his tongue to catch a tear that was coming down his sticky cheek.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
Grilling technique is especially important because Torien’s use of seasonings is minimalist; almost every skewer is salted, and some, but not all, are brushed with tare.
From New York Times ● Jul. 13, 2021
Transfer half the tare to a large bowl and let it cool completely.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 24, 2019
Each bag includes the tare weight to ensure you pay only for what you are buying.
From Slate ● May 7, 2018
Plus, the sauce they’re served atop — a thick Japanese tare — is enhanced by the unctuous filling that spills out.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 9, 2017
Until Jade Dragon is no longer lonely and is reunited with at least one of her children, Fruitless Mountain will remain tare.
From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin
On Thursday, the judge demanded 30 days’ notice before the administration makes any major structural changes to the center, including tearing it down.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
"They emerged from Britain's underground rave scene before exploding onto the global stage, tearing down the boundaries between rave, electronic music and punk along the way."
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
The tearing mode experiment showed one of the clearest potential advantages of the system.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026
Even though Goth Babe’s songs aren’t getting played heavily on the radio or tearing up the charts, they still earned more than 100 million streams last year, according to the data company Luminate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Wolf launched himself at Torak, and together they rolled over and over, Wolf play-biting and tearing at Torak’s hair, and Torak muzzle-grabbing and tugging at his scruff.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Three successive hurricanes tore through the spine of Florida’s citrus belt and uprooted entire groves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
Plague is often linked to rats, packed medieval cities, and the devastating epidemics that tore through Europe during and after the Middle Ages.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
The relentless waves destroyed decks, tore down walls and appeared to flood several of the homes on Beach Road, part of the Capistrano Bay Community Services District.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
More than 10 days after a wall of ice, rock and mud tore through a Himalayan valley in Nepal, rescuers continue to find survivors.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
“He tore up my Stevie James costume. That is pure hatred, Nic!” he huffs.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Sheeran fans and ticket holders are torn about the situation.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Kansas City’s ground game was dangerous in Week 1, taking pressure off Patrick Mahomes, who is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Much of my life is dedicated to preaching that art, and practicing reverence for it can be the glue that keeps us together when the world wants us torn apart.
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026
By researching court records and newspapers, Mr. White discovered new information about this important neighborhood, comprising some 264 people in 1855, which was torn down during the construction of Central Park.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
If I had said “Sick ’em!” he would have torn out of those elders like a cyclone.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
