tearing

[ teer-ing ]

/ ˈtɪər ɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR tearing ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

shedding tears.

Origin of tearing

before 1000; Old English tæherende (not recorded in ME); see tear¹, -ing²

Words nearby tearing

tear-stained, tearaway, teardown, teardrop, tearful, tearing, tearjerker, tearless, tearoom, tears, tearstain

Definition for tearing (2 of 4)

tearing ²

[ tair-ing ]

/ ˈtɛər ɪŋ /

adjective

violent or hasty: with tearing speed.

Origin of tearing

First recorded in 1600–10; tear² + -ing²

OTHER WORDS FROM tearing

tear·ing·ly, adverb

Definition for tearing (3 of 4)

tear ¹

[ teer ]

/ tɪər /

noun

a drop of the saline, watery fluid continually secreted by the lacrimal glands between the surface of the eye and the eyelid, serving to moisten and lubricate these parts and keep them clear of foreign particles.

this fluid appearing in or flowing from the eye as the result of emotion, especially grief: to shed tears.

something resembling or suggesting a tear, as a drop of a liquid or a tearlike mass of a solid substance, especially having a spherical or globular shape at one end and tapering to a point at the other: teardrop earrings.

Glassmaking. a decorative air bubble enclosed in a glass vessel; air bell.

tears, grief; sorrow.

verb (used without object)

to fill up and overflow with tears, as the eyes (often followed by up): My eyes were tearing in the wind. He teared up when he heard the news.

Origin of tear

before 900; (noun) Middle English teer, Old English tēar, tehher, taeher; cognate with Old High German zahar, Old Norse tār, Gothic tagr, Greek dákry, Latin lacrima (see lachrymal); (v.) Middle English teren, Old English teheran, in teherende (gerund), derivative of the noun

Definition for tearing (4 of 4)

tear ²

[ tair ]

/ tɛər /

verb (used with object), tore or (Archaic) tare, torn or (Archaic) tare, tear·ing.

to pull apart or in pieces by force, especially so as to leave ragged or irregular edges.

to pull or snatch violently; wrench away with force: to tear wrappings from a package; to tear a book from someone's hands.

to distress greatly: anguish that tears the heart.

to divide or disrupt: a country torn by civil war.

to wound or injure by or as if by rending; lacerate.

to produce or effect by rending: to tear a hole in one's coat.

to remove by force or effort: to be unable to tear oneself from a place.

verb (used without object), tore or (Archaic) tare, torn or (Archaic) tare, tear·ing.

to become torn.

to make a tear or rent.

to move or behave with force, violent haste, or energy: The wind tore through the trees; cars tearing up and down the highway; I was tearing around all afternoon trying to find sandals for the beach.

noun

the act of tearing.

a rent or fissure.

a rage or passion; violent flurry or outburst.

Informal. a spree.

Verb Phrases

tear at,

to pluck violently at; attempt to tear: She tore at the bandages until they loosened.
to distress; afflict: remorse that tears at one's soul.

tear down,

to pull down; destroy; demolish.
to disparage or discredit: to tear down one's friends behind their backs.

tear into, Informal.

to attack impulsively and heedlessly: He tore into the food with a will.
to attack verbally: She tore into him for being late for dinner.

tear off, Slang. to perform or do, especially rapidly or casually: to tear off a poem; to tear off a set of tennis.

tear up,

to tear into small shreds: He tore up the drawings because she had criticized them.
to cancel or annul: to tear up a contract.

Origin of tear

before 900; Middle English teren (v.), Old English teran; cognate with Dutch teren, German zehren to consume, Gothic distairan to destroy, Greek dérein to flay

synonym study for tear

1. Tear, rend, rip mean to pull apart. To tear is to split the fibers of something by pulling apart, usually so as to leave ragged or irregular edges: to tear open a letter. Rend implies force or violence in tearing apart or in pieces: to rend one's clothes in grief. Rip implies vigorous tearing asunder, especially along a seam or line: to rip the sleeves out of a coat.

OTHER WORDS FROM tear

tear·a·ble, adjective tear·a·ble·ness, noun tear·er, noun un·tear·a·ble, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for tearing

The new House report is tearing apart dozens of GOP claims about the 2012 attack.

Congress Debunks Congress’s Nuttiest Benghazi Theories |Ben Jacobs |November 26, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Let me tell you, I felt like Tiger Woods tearing up Augusta that one year long ago.

Forget Bipartisan Golf, Obama, and Play Against Me |Michael Tomasky |May 26, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
“I looked in the window of so many station wagons,” says Peggy, tearing up.

Mad Men’s ‘The Strategy,’ With Peggy and Don’s Late-Night Powwow, is S7’s Best Episode (So Far) |Marlow Stern |May 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
“Sometimes I feel like tearing out my hair,” Kellie Frost said.

The Death of a Rodeo Cowboy |Peter Richmond |May 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

This practice, immigration advocates say, is tearing families apart.

Obama's Deportation Catch-22 |Caitlin Dickson |April 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Carl had to go to the very top of the pole, and then had some difficulty in tearing her from her hold.

O Pioneers! |Willa Cather
He fancied that she was writhing on her seat, that she was tearing her handkerchief with her hands.

The Castle Inn |Stanley John Weyman
You should have seen the dogs, too—tearing round and round the lawn in circles—poor things!

The Younger Set |Robert W. Chambers
I shouldn't have married in such a tearing hurry if he hadn't been going to the front.

The Vanity Girl |Compton Mackenzie
All crowded into the doorway and looked and listened, intense anxiety, despite themselves, tearing at their hearts.

The Keepers of the Trail |Joseph A. Altsheler

British Dictionary definitions for tearing (1 of 3)

tearing

/ (ˈtɛərɪŋ) /

adjective

violent or furious (esp in the phrase tearing hurry or rush)

British Dictionary definitions for tearing (2 of 3)

tear ¹

/ (tɪə) /

noun

a drop of the secretion of the lacrimal glands See tears

something shaped like a hanging drop a tear of amber

Also called (esp Brit): teardrop

Derived forms of tear

tearless, adjective

Word Origin for tear

Old English tēar, related to Old Frisian, Old Norse tār, Old High German zahar, Greek dakri

British Dictionary definitions for tearing (3 of 3)

tear ²

/ (tɛə) /

verb tears, tearing, tore or torn

to cause (material, paper, etc) to come apart or (of material, etc) to come apart; rip

(tr) to make (a hole or split) in (something) to tear a hole in a dress

(intr often foll by along) to hurry or rush to tear along the street

(tr; usually foll by away or from) to remove or take by force

(when intr, often foll by at) to cause pain, distress, or anguish (to) it tore at my heartstrings to see the starving child

tear one's hair informal to be angry, frustrated, very worried, etc

noun

a hole, cut, or split

the act of tearing

a great hurry; rush

on a tear slang showing a sudden burst of energy

See also tear away, tear down, tear into, tear off, torn

Derived forms of tear

tearable, adjective tearer, noun

Word Origin for tear

Old English teran; related to Old Saxon terian, Gothic gatairan to destroy, Old High German zeran to destroy

Medical definitions for tearing

tearing

[ tîr′ĭng ]

n.

Epiphora.

Scientific definitions for tearing

tear

[ tîr ]

A drop of the clear salty liquid secreted by glands (lacrimal glands) in the eyes. Tears wet the membrane covering the eye and help rid the eye of irritating substances.

Idioms and Phrases with tearing

tear

In addition to the idioms beginning with tear

tear apart
tear around
tear at
tear away
tear down
tear into
tear it
tear off
tear one's hair

also see:

rip (tear) into
wear and tear

Also see undertearstorn.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tearing

adjective

Origin of tearing

Words nearby tearing

Definition for tearing (2 of 4)

adjective

Origin of tearing

OTHER WORDS FROM tearing

Definition for tearing (3 of 4)

noun

verb (used without object)

Origin of tear

Definition for tearing (4 of 4)

verb (used with object), tore or (Archaic) tare, torn or (Archaic) tare, tear·ing.

verb (used without object), tore or (Archaic) tare, torn or (Archaic) tare, tear·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of tear

synonym study for tear

OTHER WORDS FROM tear

Example sentences from the Web for tearing

British Dictionary definitions for tearing (1 of 3)

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for tearing (2 of 3)

noun

Derived forms of tear

Word Origin for tear

British Dictionary definitions for tearing (3 of 3)

verb tears, tearing, tore or torn

noun

Derived forms of tear

Word Origin for tear

Medical definitions for tearing

n.

Scientific definitions for tearing

Idioms and Phrases with tearing

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tearing

adjective

Origin of tearing

Words nearby tearing

Definition for tearing (2 of 4)

adjective

Origin of tearing

OTHER WORDS FROM tearing

Definition for tearing (3 of 4)

noun

verb (used without object)

Origin of tear

Definition for tearing (4 of 4)

verb (used with object), tore or (Archaic) tare, torn or (Archaic) tare, tear·ing.

verb (used without object), tore or (Archaic) tare, torn or (Archaic) tare, tear·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of tear

synonym study for tear

OTHER WORDS FROM tear

Words related to tearing

Example sentences from the Web for tearing

British Dictionary definitions for tearing (1 of 3)

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for tearing (2 of 3)

noun

Derived forms of tear

Word Origin for tear

British Dictionary definitions for tearing (3 of 3)

verb tears, tearing, tore or torn

noun

Derived forms of tear

Word Origin for tear

Medical definitions for tearing

n.

Scientific definitions for tearing

Idioms and Phrases with tearing