tear
Noun:
- A drop of clear salty liquid from the eye: A tear is the fluid produced by the lacrimal glands, often associated with crying or strong emotion.
- A hole or split caused by pulling apart: A tear is a rip or opening in a material like paper, cloth, or fabric.
Verb:
- To pull apart or into pieces by force: To tear something is to rip it, causing it to separate, often along a line of weakness.
- To move very quickly and forcefully: To tear somewhere is to move with great speed and energy, often in an uncontrolled or hurried way.
- To fill with or shed tears: (Of the eyes) to produce tears.
Noun (Liquid from eye): A single tear rolled down her cheek.The sad movie brought tears to my eyes.
Noun (Hole or split): There is a large tear in the curtain.He noticed a small tear in the page of the book.
Verb (To pull apart): Please do not tear the important document.She accidentally tore her dress on a nail.
Verb (To move quickly): The children tore out of the school when the bell rang.A truck tore down the road at high speed.
Verb (To produce tears): The cold wind made my eyes tear.Her eyes began to tear up as she listened to the story.
"to tear oneself away (from)": To leave a place or stop an activity with great reluctance. The book was so good I could hardly tear myself away from it.
"to tear into": To criticize someone or something very harshly; or to start doing something with great energy. The critic tore into the new film.He was hungry and tore into his meal.
"to tear apart": To destroy something by tearing it into pieces; to cause severe emotional distress; to criticize severely. The dog tore apart the pillow.The scandal tore the family apart.
Tearful (adj): Crying or inclined to cry; causing tears. She gave a tearful farewell.
Tearaway (n, chiefly British): A person who behaves in a wild or reckless way. He was a bit of a tearaway in his youth.
Tear gas (n): A gas that causes severe irritation to the eyes, used in riot control. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
- Noun (Liquid): Teardrop.
- Noun (Hole): Rip, split, rent, gash.
- Verb (Pull apart): Rip, shred, rend, split.
- Verb (Move quickly): Dash, race, sprint, bolt, zoom.
Tear at: To pull violently at something; to cause emotional distress. The dog tore at the rope.Her grief tore at his heart.
Tear down: To destroy or demolish a structure; to criticize someone severely. They plan to tear down the old factory.He's always trying to tear people down.
Tear off: To remove something by tearing it; to leave very quickly. He tore off the price tag.She tore off to answer the phone.
Tear out: To remove something by pulling it violently. He tore out the page from the notebook.
Tear up: To rip something into many small pieces; to have one's eyes fill with tears. She tore up the letter angrily.He teared up during the speech.
Wear and tear: The damage that happens to an object in ordinary use over a period of time. The sofa shows signs of normal wear and tear.
Tear one's hair out: To be extremely worried, anxious, or frustrated. I've been tearing my hair out trying to fix this computer problem.
On a tear: Behaving or performing in an intense, energetic, and often successful way for a period of time. The team has been on a tear, winning their last ten games.
- the act of tearing
- he took the manuscript in both hands and gave it a mighty tear
- an occasion for excessive eating or drinking
- they went on a bust that lasted three days
- an opening made forcibly as by pulling apart
- there was a rip in his pants
- she had snags in her stockings
- a drop of the clear salty saline solution secreted by the lacrimal glands
- his story brought tears to her eyes
- fill with tears or shed tears
- Her eyes were tearing
- strip of feathers
- pull a chicken
- pluck the capon
- move quickly and violently
- The car tore down the street
- He came charging into my office
- to separate or be separated by force
- planks were in danger of being torn from the crossbars
- separate or cause to separate abruptly
- The rope snapped
- tear the paper