tear
tear — noun
1. a damaged place where paper, fabric, or a similar surface has been ripped open,
a damaged place where paper, fabric, or a similar surface has been ripped open, leaving a visible gap.
Greta noticed a small tear in her jacket sleeve after the bike ride.
tear + in + clothing
The mechanic pointed at the tear on the upholstery and said it could be repaired.
A tiny tear in the tent let the rain drip onto Xiu's sleeping bag.
Tamar used a needle and thread to close the tear in the curtain.
verb pattern: close/sew/fix + a tear
- tear in
- small tear
- tiny tear
- repair a tear
- close a tear
Grammar Patterns
tear + in + [location]
Usage Note
Often used with 'in' to specify the material that has been damaged, for example a tear in a piece of paper, a shirt, or a bag.
Common Mistakes
2. a period during which a person or a team is continuously achieving great results
a period during which a person or a team is continuously achieving great results or performing at an unusually high level.
The basketball team has been on a tear this season, winning twelve games in a row.
on a tear — informal success streak
Ari went on a tear at the conference, signing three major deals in two days.
After months of slow sales, the bakery is suddenly on a tear with its new cake line.
The chess club went on a tear this year, winning every tournament they entered.
- on a tear
- go on a tear
- be on a tear
- hot streak
same meaning but more explicitly about recent consecutive successes
- winning streak
specifically about games or competitions
- run
less intense — a run of good luck does not imply as much energy as a tear
Grammar Patterns
on a tear
Usage Note
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'on a tear'. Unlike the other noun senses, this one does not refer to physical damage.
3. one of the small, salty drops of water that come out of a person's eye when they
one of the small, salty drops of water that come out of a person's eye when they are crying from strong emotions such as sadness, pain, or happiness.
A tear rolled down the old woman's cheek as she watched the wedding ceremony.
singular: a single teardrop
Romi wiped the tears from her eyes after reading the farewell letter.
The crowd had tears of joy when the rescued children stepped off the helicopter.
tears of joy / tears of sadness — emotion + of
Big tears fell onto the kitchen table while she told them what had happened.
Minho could feel hot tears rising to his eyes as he listened to the song.
- tears of joy
- tears of sadness
- burst into tears
- wipe away tears
- shed tears
- teardrop
more literary and descriptive, emphasizing the shape of a falling tear
Grammar Patterns
tears of + [emotion]
Usage Note
The plural 'tears' is far more common than the singular 'tear' when referring to drops from crying. 'Tears of [emotion]' is a standard pattern (tears of joy, tears of relief, tears of rage).
Common Mistakes
4. the state or act of making someone cry — used only in fixed expressions such as
the state or act of making someone cry — used only in fixed expressions such as 'to tears' that describe an emotional result.
The teacher's harsh words reduced the shy student to tears.
reduce [someone] to tears — make someone cry
Reading the letter moved the old soldier to tears as he remembered his lost friends.
The ending of that film brings me to tears every single time I watch it.
The sad music and the old photographs moved the bride's father to tears during the reception.
- reduce to tears
- move to tears
- bring to tears
Grammar Patterns
reduce + [someone] + to tears
Usage Note
This sense does not appear as a standalone noun. It only exists in prepositional phrases like 'to tears', 'into tears', or 'moved to tears'. Distinguish from sense 6 (TEARFULNESS), which describes an ongoing state of crying.
5. to suddenly start crying — used only in the fixed expression 'burst into tears'.
to suddenly start crying — used only in the fixed expression 'burst into tears'.
When she heard the news of the promotion, Saira burst into tears of happiness.
burst into tears — sudden onset of crying
The little girl burst into tears when she could not find her mother in the store.
Iker burst into tears during the final scene of the movie, and everyone in the theatre was silent.
The toddler burst into tears when her balloon floated up into the sky.
- burst into tears
- start crying
neutral and descriptive; does not carry the same sudden-emotion charge
- break down
stronger — implies losing emotional control completely
Grammar Patterns
burst into tears
Usage Note
Only used in the set phrase 'burst into tears'. Distinguish from sense 6 (tearfulness), which refers to the state of crying itself, and sense 3 (teardrop), which refers to the physical drops.
Common Mistakes
6. the act or state of crying, especially when the tears are visible and the person
the act or state of crying, especially when the tears are visible and the person is visibly upset.
Renata found her little brother in tears after the neighbour's dog chased him.
in tears — visibly crying
The whole family was in tears at the airport gate when the plane finally left.
Emre finished his speech in tears, thanking everyone who had helped him recover.
Aylin could barely speak; she was nearly in tears as she described the accident.
- in tears
- reduce to tears
Grammar Patterns
in tears
Usage Note
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'in tears'. This describes the visible state of crying, not the act of starting to cry (sense 5) or the physical drops (sense 3).
Common Mistakes
7. the action or process of pulling something apart by force, especially paper, fab
the action or process of pulling something apart by force, especially paper, fabric, or packaging.
The tear of the wrapping paper announced the arrival of the birthday gift.
the tear of [material] — formal noun usage
With a single clean tear, the tailor removed the damaged section of the silk.
The sound of the tear made everyone in the library look up from their books.
The quick tear of the envelope revealed the acceptance letter inside.
- clean tear
- the tear of
- rip
more informal; 'tear' as an action noun sounds more deliberate or careful
Grammar Patterns
the tear of + [material]
Usage Note
This sense describes the action itself (the tearing), not the resulting hole (sense 1). It is less common than sense 1 and is mostly used in formal descriptions or literary contexts.
8. a short period of wild, uncontrolled, and often excessive behaviour, especially
a short period of wild, uncontrolled, and often excessive behaviour, especially involving eating, drinking, spending money, or partying.
After winning the lottery, the couple went on a spending tear at the luxury shops.
on a [activity] tear — short uncontrolled spree
The students went on a three-day tear after finals, eating and dancing until dawn.
Minho went on a cooking tear last weekend and made enough food to last a month.
After months of saving, Renata went on a shopping tear and bought new clothes for the whole family.
- on a tear
- spending tear
- cooking tear
Grammar Patterns
[adjective] + tear
Usage Note
This sense shares the 'on a tear' structure with sense 2 (SUCCESS STREAK), but carries a different meaning. Sense 2 is about performance and achievement; sense 8 is about excess and lack of restraint. Context determines which meaning applies — look at the adjective or the topic.
to make someone extremely bored, as if the boredom could make them cry from frustration.
The lecture on tax regulations bored the students to tears within the first ten minutes.
crocodile tears
idioman expression of sadness that is not genuine; fake crying done to manipulate others.
The politician shed crocodile tears over the factory closures she had voted for.
end in tears
idiomused to warn that a current course of action will result in unhappiness, failure, or disaster.
The accountant warned the board that this risky investment would end in tears.
wear and tear
idiomthe gradual damage that happens to objects, furniture, or equipment through normal daily use over time.
After five years of daily use, the sofa showed significant wear and tear on the armrests.
extremely hard work and great effort put into achieving something difficult.
Building the community garden took blood, sweat and tears from every volunteer in the neighbourhood.
be on a tear
idiomTo be experiencing a period of great success or activity.
The company has been on a tear this quarter.
After winning three games, the team is on a tear.
tear — verb
1. to forcefully pull something apart into pieces, or to separate it from a surface
to forcefully pull something apart into pieces, or to separate it from a surface, often damaging or breaking it; also used when fabric or paper rips on a sharp edge.
Yael carefully tore the letter into tiny pieces so nobody could read it.
tear + [object] + into + [pieces]
The old fence was so rotten that Greta could easily tear a plank off with her hands.
Be careful with that knife or you will tear a hole in your new jeans.
This kind of paper tears very easily if you pull it too fast.
intransitive use: the material tears (by itself)
Ari tore the poster off the wall without even asking the shop owner.
- tear into pieces
- tear in half
- tear off
- tear out
- tear open
- tear easily
Grammar Patterns
tear + [object] + in half / into pieces / off / out
tear + [object] + on + [sharp edge]
Usage Note
This is the core physical sense. It can be transitive (someone tears something) or intransitive (something tears). Common objects include paper, cloth, fabric, packaging, or skin. When used with 'on' (e.g. 'tear on a nail'), the damage happens because of contact with a sharp or rough surface.
Common Mistakes
2. to move extremely quickly, often with great urgency, excitement, or energy, in a
to move extremely quickly, often with great urgency, excitement, or energy, in a particular direction.
The children tore down the hill towards the ice-cream truck as soon as they saw it.
tear + [direction] + [destination] — fast movement
Eshe tore through the airport terminal to catch the last flight of the day.
A fire engine tore past the school with its sirens blaring loudly.
The dog tore across the park after a squirrel and disappeared into the bushes.
- tear down
- tear across
- tear through
- tear along
- tear past
- crawl
to move extremely slowly
Grammar Patterns
tear + along/down/through/across/into + [place]
Usage Note
This verb always needs a direction word (along, across, down, through, into, past). It is NOT used without a preposition or adverb. Compare: 'He tore.' (wrong) vs 'He tore down the street.' (correct).
Common Mistakes
3. when a person's eyes fill with tears, usually because of an external irritant su
when a person's eyes fill with tears, usually because of an external irritant such as wind, smoke, onion fumes, or bright light, rather than from a strong emotion.
My eyes started to tear up as soon as I stepped into the smoky kitchen.
eyes + tear up — fill with tears from irritation
The strong wind made everyone's eyes tear on the walk back to the office.
Chopping onions always makes my eyes tear badly, no matter how fresh they are.
Her eyes teared up when she removed her contact lenses after wearing them all day.
- eyes tear
- tear up
- make eyes tear
Grammar Patterns
[eyes] + tear + [up]
Usage Note
Pronounced /tɪər/ (like 'tier'), NOT /tɛər/ (like 'tare'). The past tense is 'teared' (not 'tore'). The subject is almost always 'eyes'. This sense is about physical eye-watering, not emotional crying. Compare with noun sense 3 (teardrop from emotion) — the distinction is cause: irritant vs. feeling.
Common Mistakes
4. to find it difficult or impossible to decide between two or more options, people
to find it difficult or impossible to decide between two or more options, people, or feelings because each has strong appeal or makes a claim on your loyalty.
Jenna was torn between taking the job in London and staying close to her ageing parents.
be torn between [choice A] and [choice B]
The committee was torn between approving the project quickly and waiting for more data.
Xiu felt torn between her duty to her family and her dream of becoming a musician.
Many voters are torn between the two candidates because both have strong qualifications.
- torn between
- torn by
- feel torn
- conflicted
similar emotional weight; 'conflicted' focuses on the internal emotional state while 'torn' emphasizes being pulled in two directions
- divided
can apply to a group; less intense than 'torn', more about logistics than emotion
- split
informal and common; 'split' suggests the decision is about personal preference rather than moral conflict
Grammar Patterns
be torn between + [two choices]
Usage Note
Almost always used in the past participle form 'torn' as an adjective after 'be' (be torn) or as a participial adjective (a torn heart). The structure 'torn between X and Y' is the most common pattern. A less frequent variant is 'torn by' when the conflicting forces are named: 'torn by doubt'.
Common Mistakes
5. severely damaged or emotionally wrecked by a terrible event, for example a war,
severely damaged or emotionally wrecked by a terrible event, for example a war, a death, a disaster, or a deep personal loss.
The small town was torn apart by the earthquake that destroyed hundreds of homes.
torn apart by [disaster/event]
Saira was torn apart by guilt after she realised what her words had done to her best friend.
The family was torn apart by the long dispute over their grandfather's property.
Entire communities were torn apart by the conflict that lasted more than a decade.
- torn apart by
- torn apart
- torn by conflict
- devastated
focuses on the emotional aftermath; can apply to a person or a place
- wrecked
more informal and carries a sense of complete physical or emotional destruction
- ravaged
usually about physical destruction by war, disease, or weather; more formal
Grammar Patterns
torn apart + by + [event]
Usage Note
This sense is almost always used in the passive voice or as a participial adjective ('torn apart by...'). It is stronger than sense 4 (TORN): sense 4 describes indecision between choices, while sense 5 describes destruction or devastation. Frequently appears with 'apart' as 'torn apart by'.
tear down
phrasal verbto deliberately pull down and demolish a building, wall, or other structure.
The city council voted to tear down the old factory and build a park in its place.
Workers tore down the damaged bridge over the weekend to make way for a new one.
tear off
phrasal verbto remove something quickly and forcefully from a surface by pulling it.
Minho tore off the bandage in one quick motion before he could change his mind.
Please tear off the coupon at the bottom of the page and bring it to the store.
tear up
phrasal verbto destroy something made of paper by pulling it into small pieces.
Aylin tore up the old love letters and threw them into the fireplace.
The player tore up his contract when the team refused to trade him.
tear apart
phrasal verbto cause serious damage, division, or distress in a relationship, group, or place.
The argument over money tore the family apart and they did not speak for years.
Years of war had torn the country apart, leaving its cities in ruins.
tear into
phrasal verbto attack someone or something with great force, either physically or verbally.
The manager tore into the team for missing the quarterly targets by such a wide margin.
The hungry lion tore into the fresh meat as soon as the zookeeper dropped it.
tear at
phrasal verbTo pull or try to open something roughly, or to cause emotional pain.
The dog tore at the bag of food.
The memory of the accident still tears at her.
tear away
phrasal verbTo remove something by pulling it quickly and forcefully.
He tore away the wrapping paper to see the gift.
The wind tore away the roof of the shed.
tear up1
phrasal verbTo destroy something by pulling it into pieces.
She tore up the letter after reading it.
The dog tore up the newspaper on the floor.
tear yourself away
phrasal verbTo force yourself to leave something interesting or enjoyable.
I couldn't tear myself away from the book.
Can you tear yourself away from the TV for dinner?
to criticize someone or something extremely severely, or to completely destroy an argument or piece of work.
The critic tore the young director's debut film to shreds in the morning newspaper.
The lawyer tore the prosecution's main argument to pieces during the cross-examination.
be torn between
idiomto be unable to decide between two people, things, or feelings because each is equally appealing or important.
I am torn between ordering the pasta and trying the grilled fish tonight.
to cause someone extreme emotional pain or sadness, especially by taking away something or someone they love.
It tore her heart out to watch the family home being sold to strangers.
tear your hair out
idiomto express or feel great frustration, worry, or anger about a difficult situation.
The software developers were tearing their hair out trying to fix the bug before the deadline.
To have difficulty making a choice between two options.
Mia was torn between studying abroad and staying home.
Are you torn between the red dress and the blue one?
To criticize someone or something very harshly.
The critics tore the new play to shreds.
My boss pulled my report to pieces in the meeting.
To completely defeat or destroy someone or something, or to criticize them severely.
Our team tore the opponents apart in the final match.
The reviewer tore the film to bits in her article.
To cause strong emotional pain or sadness.
The sad movie tore at my heart.
Seeing the injured puppy tore her heart out.
tear your hair (out)
idiomTo show extreme anger, worry, or frustration.
He was tearing his hair out over the lost keys.
Why are you tearing your hair out? It's just a small mistake.
To destroy the most essential or important part of something.
The new law tore the heart out of the community.
Closing the school ripped the heart out of the town.
To be in a very great hurry.
She was in a tearing hurry to catch the train.
Are you in a tearing rush? We have plenty of time.
To attack someone very violently.
The angry mob threatened to tear him limb from limb.
If you touch my daughter, I'll rip you limb from limb.
To speak angrily to someone who has done something wrong.
The manager tore a strip off the employee for being late.
My dad tore me off a strip when I broke the window.
that’s torn it
idiomUsed to say that something has happened to ruin your plans.
The car broke down. That's torn it for our trip.
Oh, that's torn it! I forgot my passport.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
'Tear' (pull apart) is the most general word for separating a material by force. 'Rip' is less formal and implies a quick, rough tearing — you rip open an envelope or rip a page out of a notebook. 'Shred' is more specific: it means tearing into very thin, narrow pieces, often deliberately destroying a document or being very destructive (e.g., 'The dog shredded the newspaper.'). 'Split' implies tearing along a line, often a seam or a natural grain — you split a piece of wood or split your trousers along the seam. 'Rend' is a literary and somewhat archaic word that suggests violent force: 'The explosion rent the building in two.' For everyday use, 'tear' is the neutral choice; use 'rip' when the action is quick and rough, 'shred' for thin strips, and 'split' for clean, linear separation.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'tear' actually comes from TWO different Old English words that evolved separately. The 'rip' meaning comes from Old English 'teran' (to pull apart, lacerate), which goes back to Proto-Germanic 'teraną' and ultimately to Proto-Indo-European 'derə-' (to split, flay, peel). The 'cry' meaning comes from Old English 'tear' / 'tēar' (a drop of liquid from the eye), from Proto-Germanic 'tahrą' or 'tagrą', and from Proto-Indo-European 'dakru-' (tear). Interestingly, many Indo-European languages share a similar root for 'tear' (cry): Latin 'lacrima', Greek 'dakryon', Sanskrit 'aśru'. The two words happened to converge in modern English spelling but retain their distinct pronunciations (/tɛər/ for rip, /tɪər/ for cry).