Meanings
tear1
present singular third person tears · participle present tearing · past tore · participle past torn · colloquial nonstandard participle past tore
- transitiveTo rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate.
He tore his coat on the nail.
1 more example
Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand. We spent consider'ble money getting 'em reset, and then a swordfish got into the pound and tore the nets all to slathers, right in the middle of the squiteague season. He suffered, poor man, at seeing her so badly dressed, with laceless boots, and the arm-holes of her pinafore torn down to the hips; for the charwoman took no care of her.
1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC - intransitiveTo become torn, especially accidentally.
My dress has torn.
- intransitiveTo move or act with great speed, energy, or violence.
He tore into the backlog of complaints.
4 more examples
He went tearing down the hill at 90 miles per hour.
The tornado lingered, tearing through town, leaving nothing upright.
I waited to hear no more, but tore up the village to find Poirot.
1920, Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, London: Pan Books, published 1954, page 133I've been tearing around in my fucking nightgown. 24/7 Sylvia Plath.
2019, Lana Del Rey, Hope Is a Dangerous Thing - intransitivecomputingTo be interrupted midway through.
torn write
tear2
plural tears · alternative obsolete teare
- A drop of clear, salty liquid produced from the eyes by crying or irritation.
Ryan wiped the tear from the paper he was crying on.
3 more examples
Big tears streamed from Lisa's eyes, rolling down her cheeks.
I pray you in your Letters, / When you ſhall theſe vnluckie deeds relate, / Speake of me, as I am. […] / Of one, whoſe ſubdu'd Eyes, / Albeit un-vsed to the melting moode, / Drops teares as faſt as the Arabian Trees / Their Medicinable gumme.
1603, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies, London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, act V, scene ii, page 338'[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St. Mary's Home where I was brought up and seeing us all in our lovely Elizabethan uniforms we were so proud of, and bursting into tears all over us because "it was wicked to dress us like charity children".[…]'
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 6, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC - Something in the form of a transparent drop of fluid matter; also, a solid, transparent, tear-shaped drop, as of some balsams or resins.
Let Araby extol her happy coast, / Her fragrant flowers, her trees with precious tears.
1717, William Congreve, Samuel Croxall, John Dryden, Laurence Eusden, John Ozell, “Book X”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC - glass manufactureA partially vitrified bit of clay in glass.
- That which causes or accompanies tears; a lament; a dirge.
Without meed of some melodious tear. Begin then, Sisters of the sacred well [...]
1637, John Milton, “Lycidas”, in Justa Edouardo King Naufrago, Cambridge: Printed by Thomas Buck, and Roger Daniel, published 1638, page 131
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
nouna drop of the clear salty saline solution secreted by the lacrimal glands
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
tear · verb, noun
- Proto-Indo-European*der-“to tear, tear apart”
- Proto-Germanic*teraną“to tear, tear apart, rip”
- Old Englishteran“to tear, lacerate”
- Middle Englishteren
- Englishtear
From Middle English teren, from Old English teran (“to tear, lacerate”), from Proto-Germanic *teraną (“to tear, tear apart, rip”), from Proto-Indo-European *der- (“to tear, tear apart”). Cognate with Scots tere, teir, tair (“to rend, lacerate, wound, rip, tear out”), Dutch teren (“to eliminate, efface, live, survive by consumption”), German zehren (“to consume, misuse”), German zerren (“to tug, rip, tear”), Danish tære (“to consume”), Swedish tära (“to fret, consume, deplete, use up”), Icelandic tæra (“to clear, corrode”). Outside Germanic, cognate to Ancient Greek δέρω (dérō, “to skin”), Albanian ther (“to slay, skin, pierce”). Doublet of tire.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →tear · noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*dáḱru-“tear”
- Proto-Germanic*tahrą“tear”
- Proto-West Germanic*tahr
- Old Englishteagor
- Middle Englishtear
- Englishtear
From Middle English tear, teer, teere, ter, tere, tyar, tyear, tyer, tær (“tear”), from Old English teagor, tēar, tæher, from Proto-West Germanic *tahr, from Proto-Germanic *tahrą (“tear”), from Proto-Indo-European *dáḱru- (“tear”). Cognates Cognate with German Zähre (“tear”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk tåre (“tear”), Faroese and Icelandic tár (“tear”), Swedish tår (“tear”), Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌲𐍂 (tagr, “teardrop”); also Cornish dager (“tear; drop”), Irish deoir (“tear”), Manx jeir (“tear”), Scottish Gaelic deur (“tear; drop”), Welsh deigryn (“tear”), Latin dacrima, dacruma, lachryma, lacrima, lacruma, lacryma (“tear”), Greek δάκρυ (dákry, “tear”), Armenian արտոսր (artosr, “tear”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans traan
- traandrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Ancient Greek ῥῆγμα, δάκρυ
- ῥῆγμα (rhêgma)hole or break caused by tearing
- δάκρυ (dákru)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- δάκρυον (dákruon)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Arabic مَزَّقَ, شَقَّ
- مَزَّقَ (mazzaqa)to rend
- شَقَّ (šaqqa)to rend
- خَرْق (ḵarq)hole or break caused by tearing
- شَقّ (šaqq)hole or break caused by tearing
- دَمْع (damʕ)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- دَمْعَة (damʕa)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- دَمَعَ (damaʕa)to produce tears
Basque negar, malko
- negardrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- malkodrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Bengali অশ্রু, আঁখিজল
- অশ্রু (osru)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- আঁখিজল (ãkhijol)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Bulgarian късам, разкъсвам
- късам (kăsam)to rend
- разкъсвам (razkăsvam)to injure as if by pulling apart
- износвам (iznosvam)to destroy or reduce abstract unity or coherence
- разкъсвам (razkăsvam)to make an opening with force or energy
- откъсвам (otkăsvam)to remove by tearing
- късам се (kăsam se)to become torn
- нося се (nosja se)to move at excessive speed, act with energy
- прорез (prorez)hole or break caused by tearing
- скъсано място (skăsano mjasto)hole or break caused by tearing
- сълза́ (sălzá)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- сълзя (sălzja)to produce tears
Catalan estripar, esquinçar
- estriparto rend
- esquinçarto rend
- esquinçarto become torn
- esgarrarto become torn
- llàgrimadrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Chinese Cantonese 眼淚 /眼泪
- 眼淚 /眼泪 (ngaan⁵ leoi⁶)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Chinese Mandarin 撕, 撕破
- 撕 (sī)to rend
- 撕破 (sīpò)to rend
- 淚 /泪 (lèi)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- 眼淚 /眼泪 (yǎnlèi)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- 流泪 (liúlèi)to produce tears
Czech roztrhnout, rvát
- roztrhnoutto rend
- rvátto rend
- utrhnoutto remove by tearing
- odtrhnoutto remove by tearing
- strhnoutto demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- roztrhnout seto become torn
- trhlinahole or break caused by tearing
- prasklinahole or break caused by tearing
- slzadrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Danish flå, rive
- flåto rend
- riveto rend
- revneto rend
- flængehole or break caused by tearing
- rifthole or break caused by tearing
- tåredrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Dutch scheuren, scheuren
- scheurento rend
- scheurento injure as if by pulling apart
- verscheurento destroy or reduce abstract unity or coherence
- uitscheurento remove by tearing
- slopento demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- scheurento move at excessive speed, act with energy
- scheurhole or break caused by tearing
- traandrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Esperanto ŝiri, ŝiri
- ŝirito rend
- ŝirito remove by tearing
- elŝirito remove by tearing
- larmodrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- larmito produce tears
Estonian pisar
- pisardrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Finnish repiä, revähdyttää
- repiäto rend
- revähdyttääto injure as if by pulling apart
- revähtääto injure as if by pulling apart
- repiäto destroy or reduce abstract unity or coherence
- repiäto make an opening with force or energy
- repiäto remove by tearing
- repiäto demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- revetäto become torn
- repeytyäto become torn
- revähtääto become torn
- kaahatato move at excessive speed, act with energy
- syöksyäto move at excessive speed, act with energy
- reikähole or break caused by tearing
- repeämähole or break caused by tearing
- kyyneldrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- kyynelsomething in the form of a transparent drop of fluid matter
- kyynelehtiäto produce tears
- vuotaato produce tears
French déchirer, déchirer
- déchirerto rend
- déchirerto remove by tearing
- détacherto remove by tearing
- démolirto demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- se déchirerto become torn
- déchirurehole or break caused by tearing
- larmedrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- larmoyerto produce tears
German reißen, zerreißen
- reißento rend
- zerreißento rend
- herausreißento remove by tearing
- abreißento remove by tearing
- abreißento demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- reißento become torn
- einreißento become torn
- abreißento become torn
- zerreißento become torn
- Risshole or break caused by tearing
- Tränedrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- Zähredrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- tränento produce tears
Greek σκίζω, δάκρυ
- σκίζω (skízo)to rend
- δάκρυ (dákry)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- δακρύζω (dakrýzo)to produce tears
Hebrew קָרַע, דִּמְעָה
- קָרַע (qará)to rend
- דִּמְעָה (dim'á)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Hindi आँसू, अश्क
- आँसू (ā̃sū)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- अश्क (aśk)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Hungarian tép, szakít
- tépto rend
- szakítto rend
- letépto remove by tearing
- leszakítto remove by tearing
- lebontto demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- lerombolto demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- szakadto become torn
- elszakadto become torn
- száguldto move at excessive speed, act with energy
- repesztto move at excessive speed, act with energy
- szakadáshole or break caused by tearing
- könnydrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- könnyezikto produce tears
Icelandic rífa, tár
- rífato rend
- tárdrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Indonesian robek, sobek
- robekto rend
- sobekto rend
- cabikto rend
- carikto rend
- air matadrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Irish stróic, rois
- stróicto rend
- roisto rend
- réabto rend
- réabto move at excessive speed, act with energy
- roiseadhhole or break caused by tearing
- deoirdrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Italian strappare, dilaniare
- strappareto rend
- dilaniareto rend
- squarciareto rend
- strappareto remove by tearing
- staccareto remove by tearing
- demolireto demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- strapparsito become torn
- andare sparatoto move at excessive speed, act with energy
- strappohole or break caused by tearing
- squarciohole or break caused by tearing
- lacrimadrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Japanese 破る, 引き裂く
- 破る (yaburu)to rend
- 引き裂く (hikisaku)to rend
- 涙 (namida)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Korean 찢다, 찢어내다
- 찢다 (jjitda)to rend
- 찢어내다 (jjijeonaeda)to remove by tearing
- 찢기다 (jjitgida)to become torn
- 눈물 (nunmul)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- 눈물짓다 (nunmuljitda)to produce tears
- 눈물 흘리다 (nunmul heullida)to produce tears
Latin lanio, scissura
- lanioto rend
- scissurahole or break caused by tearing
- lacrimadrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Latvian plēst, pārplēst
- plēstto rend
- pārplēstto rend
- saplēstto demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- plīstto become torn
- trauktiesto move at excessive speed, act with energy
- plīsumshole or break caused by tearing
- asaradrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- asarotto produce tears
Lithuanian plyšti, ãšara
- plyštito rend
- ãšaradrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Malay اءير مات, air mata
- اءير ماتdrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- air matadrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Middle Korean 누ᇈ믈, 누ᇇ믈
- 누ᇈ믈drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- 누ᇇ믈drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Māori tīhae, turaki
- tīhaeto rend
- turakito demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- roimatadrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- waikamodrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Norwegian Bokmål tåre
- tåredrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Persian پاره کردن, دریدن
- پاره کردن (pâre kardan)to rend
- دریدن (daridan)to rend
- دراندن (darândan)to rend
Polish drzeć, rwać
- drzećto rend
- rwaćto rend
- odrywaćto remove by tearing
- oderwaćto remove by tearing
- zrywaćto remove by tearing
- zerwaćto remove by tearing
- burzyćto demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- zburzyćto demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- rwać sięto become torn
- porwać sięto become torn
- drzeć sięto become torn
- podrzeć sięto become torn
- łzadrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Portuguese rasgar, destacar
- rasgarto rend
- destacarto remove by tearing
- arrancarto remove by tearing
- rasgarto remove by tearing
- demolirto demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- rasgarto become torn
- rasgohole or break caused by tearing
- fendahole or break caused by tearing
- buracohole or break caused by tearing
- lágrimadrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- chorarto produce tears
- lacrimejarto produce tears
Romanian rupe, sfâșia
- rupeto rend
- sfâșiato rend
- rupeto remove by tearing
- scoateto remove by tearing
- smulgeto remove by tearing
- detașato remove by tearing
- demolato demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- dărâmato demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- se rupeto become torn
- alergato move at excessive speed, act with energy
- ruperehole or break caused by tearing
- rupturăhole or break caused by tearing
- tăieturăhole or break caused by tearing
- lacrimădrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- lăcrimato produce tears
Russian рвать, порва́ть
- рвать (rvatʹ)to rend
- порва́ть (porvátʹ)to rend
- разрыва́ть (razryvátʹ)to rend
- разорва́ть (razorvátʹ)to rend
- отрыва́ть (otryvátʹ)to remove by tearing
- оторва́ть (otorvátʹ)to remove by tearing
- срыва́ть (sryvátʹ)to remove by tearing
- сорва́ть (sorvátʹ)to remove by tearing
- разруша́ть (razrušátʹ)to demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- разру́шить (razrúšitʹ)to demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- сноси́ть (snosítʹ)to demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- снести́ (snestí)to demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- разры́в (razrýv)hole or break caused by tearing
- слеза́ (slezá)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Scottish Gaelic deur
- deurdrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Slovak rvať, trhať
- rvaťto rend
- trhaťto rend
- slzadrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Spanish rasgar, desgarrar
- rasgarto rend
- desgarrarto rend
- irrumpirto rend
- desgarrarseto become torn
- desgarrónhole or break caused by tearing
- rasgónhole or break caused by tearing
- rotohole or break caused by tearing
- rasgadohole or break caused by tearing
- jirónhole or break caused by tearing
- lágrimadrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- lagrimearto produce tears
- lagrimarto produce tears
Swahili chozi
- chozidrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Swedish riva, reva
- rivato rend
- revahole or break caused by tearing
- tårdrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Tagalog luha
- luhadrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Tamil கிழி, பிய்
- கிழி (kiḻi)to rend
- பிய் (piy)to rend
- கிழி (kiḻi)to become torn
- கண்ணீர் (kaṇṇīr)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Thai ฉีก, ฉีก
- ฉีก (chìik)to rend
- ฉีก (chìik)to remove by tearing
- ขาด (kàat)to become torn
- ฉีกขาดto become torn
- น้ำตา (nám-dtaa)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Turkish kırmak, koparmak
- kırmakto rend
- koparmakto remove by tearing
- yırtılmakto become torn
- gözyaşıdrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Ukrainian рва́ти, де́рти
- рва́ти (rváty)to rend
- де́рти (dérty)to rend
- розрива́ти (rozryváty)to rend
- розде́рти (rozdérty)to rend
- віддирати (viddyraty)to remove by tearing
- відде́рти (viddérty)to remove by tearing
- зрива́ти (zryváty)to remove by tearing
- зірва́ти (zirváty)to remove by tearing
- руйнува́ти (rujnuváty)to demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- зруйнува́ти (zrujnuváty)to demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- зно́сити (znósyty)to demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- знести́ (znestý)to demolish; to tear down — see also demolish
- розри́в (rozrýv)hole or break caused by tearing
- сльоза́ (slʹozá)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Urdu آن٘سُو, آنْسُو
- آن٘سُو (ā̃sū)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- آنْسُو (ānsū)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
- اَشْک (aśk)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Vietnamese xé, nước mắt
- xéto rend
- nước mắtdrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Welsh rhwygo, rhwyg
- rhwygoto rend
- rhwyghole or break caused by tearing
- deigryndrop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Yiddish רײַסן, ריס
- רײַסן (raysn)to rend
- ריס (ris)hole or break caused by tearing
- טרער (trer)drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with tear
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
tear. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tear
“tear.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tear. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tear,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tear.
Source: tear on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.