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.
If your brioche is very fresh, spread the torn bread chunks onto another baking sheet and toast for 5 to 8 minutes, just until lightly dried at the edges.
From Salon • May 25, 2026
But Pratt needs to realize that Angelenos don’t want the city to be torn down, as dissatisfied as they may be.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
I was just trying to de-escalate, and I’m like, “Chill—I’m not harming anybody, and I have two torn shoulders.”
From Slate • May 19, 2026
"There are no words. Until now I still feel torn apart, I still can't believe it... right now I am deeply devastated," he told the BBC over the phone on Monday.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
Behind the caps was a big piece of driftwood, and under the driftwood was a torn piece of fishing net.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
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.
