torn
Americanverb
verb
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the past participle of tear 1
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slang an unexpected event or circumstance has upset one's plans
adjective
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split or cut
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divided or undecided, as in preference
he was torn between staying and leaving
Other Word Forms
Explanation
Torn things have been pulled apart or ripped. Things can be literally torn, like a torn piece of paper, or figuratively torn — like your torn heart when you have to take sides in a family feud. You can serve a salad full of torn lettuce leaves, or mend a stuffed animal with a torn ear. In both cases, something has been divided by force, or pulled apart. It's also possible to be emotionally torn, or conflicted between two choices, options, or people: "I'm torn between going to the party or staying home and reading my library book." Either way, torn things are difficult (and sometimes impossible) to repair.
Vocabulary lists containing torn
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.
A new round of protests was under way Thursday, including a large gathering at Place de la Bastille, the site of the prison that was stormed and torn down in the French Revolution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Dozens of fire-damaged homes, which were simple, one-storey buildings in Nir Oz, have now been torn down, leaving just rows of the reinforced concrete safe rooms, which failed to keep people safe.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Surgery can repair the torn ligament, but fixing the immediate injury does not necessarily prevent long-term joint damage.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
“Torn,” which features lyrics around a mother who is watching her family get torn apart, will be the closing track of “Carnaval de Luz,” which will be released Nov. 13.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
It’s creased and torn, as though it had been crumpled up into a ball before being opened up again and neatly folded.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
