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.
Torn between the two cities, Alarnab said he longed to one day rebuild his home in Damascus.
From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026
Torn between fighting and the need to feed their families, the American Indian warriors could not sustain a prolonged war.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025
Torn sheets cover the gaping holes where the windows used to be.
From BBC • Oct. 8, 2025
Torn between tradition and modernity, the country is in the midst of an identity crisis.
From New York Times • Mar. 26, 2024
"Ain't we a puckered sight, the both of us! Torn up and scruffy. At least, no one'll take you for a prince."
From "The Whipping Boy" by Sid Fleischman
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.
