tear

noun
UK: /tɪər/
US: /tɪr/

  1. A drop of clear salty liquid secreted from glands in the eye, typically as a result of strong emotion.

    1. A tear rolled down her cheek. [ ] [ ]
    2. The sad movie brought a tear to my eye, reminding me of difficult times. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

weep damage split rip cry
tear intransitive-verb

  1. To produce tears.

    1. She began to tear up at the sad story. [ ] [ ]
    2. I almost tear every time I watch that movie because it's so touching. [ ] [ ]
tear verb

  1. To damage (something) by pulling it apart or into pieces.

    1. Don't tear the paper. [ ] [ ]
    2. Careful not to tear the delicate fabric, it is very old and fragile. [ ] [ ]

  2. To move very quickly.

    1. The car tore down the street. [ ] [ ]
    2. He tore through the house, searching frantically for his missing keys. [ ] [ ]
tear noun

  1. A hole or split in something caused by it being pulled apart forcefully.

    1. There's a tear in my shirt. [ ] [ ]
    2. I noticed a small tear along the seam of the new dress. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "tear" is /tɪər/ in British English and /tɪr/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "tear": weep, damage, split, rip, cry.

Example usage of "tear": "A tear rolled down her cheek.". More examples on the page.