Meanings
plural tear gases · plural tear gasses · alternative teargas
- countableuncountableAny lachrymatory, non-lethal chemical compound that causes the eyes to sting and water and/or irritates the respiratory system, mostly used for controlling crowds during riots or as self-defense.
1 more example
The dispatches […] also exposed the blatant discrepancy between the west's professed values and actual foreign policies. Having lectured the Arab world about democracy for years, its collusion in suppressing freedom was undeniable as protesters were met by weaponry and tear gas made in the west, employed by a military trained by westerners.
2013 June 7, Gary Younge, “Hypocrisy lies at heart of Manning prosecution”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 18
present singular third person tear gases · present singular third person tear gasses · participle present tear gassing · participle past tear gassed · past tear gassed · alternative teargas
- To use tear gas.
The riot squad tear gassed the mob.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna gas that makes the eyes fill with tears but does not damage them; used in dispersing crowds
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Arabic الْغَاز الْمَسِيل لِلْدَمُوع
- الْغَاز الْمَسِيل لِلْدَمُوع (al-ḡāz al-masīl li-l-damūʕ)chemical compound
Basque gas negar eragile
- gas negar eragilechemical compound
Bengali কাঁদানে গ্যাস
- কাঁদানে গ্যাস (kãdane gês)chemical compound
Bulgarian сълзотво́рен газ
- сълзотво́рен газ (sălzotvóren gaz)chemical compound
Catalan gas lacrimogen
- gas lacrimogenchemical compound
Chinese Mandarin 催淚瓦斯 /催泪瓦斯, 催淚氣體 /催泪气体
- 催淚瓦斯 /催泪瓦斯 (cuīlèi wǎsī)chemical compound
- 催淚氣體 /催泪气体 (cuīlèi qìtǐ)chemical compound
- 催淚彈 /催泪弹 (cuīlèidàn)chemical compound
- 催淚煙 /催泪烟 (cuīlèiyān)chemical compound
Czech slzný plyn
- slzný plynchemical compound
Danish tåregas
- tåregaschemical compound
Dutch traangas
- traangaschemical compound
Esperanto larmiga gaso
- larmiga gasochemical compound
Estonian pisargaas
- pisargaaschemical compound
Finnish kyynelkaasu
- kyynelkaasuchemical compound
French gaz lacrymogène, lacrymo
- gaz lacrymogènechemical compound
- lacrymochemical compound
German Tränengas
- Tränengaschemical compound
Greek δακρυγόνο
- δακρυγόνο (dakrygóno)chemical compound
Hindi अश्रु गैस, आँसू गैस
- अश्रु गैस (aśru gais)chemical compound
- आँसू गैस (ā̃sū gais)chemical compound
Hungarian könnygáz
- könnygázchemical compound
Icelandic táragas
- táragaschemical compound
Italian gas lacrimogeno
- gas lacrimogenochemical compound
Japanese 催涙ガス, 催涙剤
- 催涙ガス (sairui gasu)chemical compound
- 催涙剤 (sairuizai)chemical compound
Korean 최루 가스, 최루제
- 최루 가스 (choeru gaseu)chemical compound
- 최루제 (choeruje)chemical compound
Latvian asaru gāze
- asaru gāzechemical compound
Lithuanian ašarinės dujos
- ašarinės dujoschemical compound
Norwegian Bokmål tåregass
- tåregasschemical compound
Persian گاز اشکآور
- گاز اشکآور (gâz-e ašk-âvar)chemical compound
Polish gaz łzawiący
- gaz łzawiącychemical compound
Portuguese gás lacrimogéneo, gás lacrimogêneo
- gás lacrimogéneochemical compound
- gás lacrimogêneochemical compound
Romanian gaz lacrimogen
- gaz lacrimogenchemical compound
Russian слезоточи́вый газ
- слезоточи́вый газ (slezotočívyj gaz)chemical compound
Slovak slzný plyn
- slzný plynchemical compound
Spanish gas lacrimógeno
- gas lacrimógenochemical compound
Swedish tårgas
- tårgaschemical compound
Thai แก๊สน้ำตา
- แก๊สน้ำตา (gɛ́ɛt-nám-dtaa)chemical compound
Turkish gözyaşartıcı gaz
- gözyaşartıcı gazchemical compound
Ukrainian сльозогі́нний газ
- сльозогі́нний газ (slʹozohínnyj haz)chemical compound
Urdu آنْسُو گیس
- آنْسُو گیس (ānsū ges)chemical compound
Vietnamese hơi cay
- hơi caychemical compound
Cite this entry
tear gas. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tear%20gas
“tear gas.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tear%20gas. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tear gas,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tear%20gas.
Source: tear gas on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.