wearing

[ wair-ing ]

/ ˈwɛər ɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR wearing ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

gradually impairing or wasting: Reading small print can be wearing on the eyes.

wearying or exhausting: a wearing task.

relating to or made for wear.

Origin of wearing

First recorded in 1805–15; wear + -ing²

OTHER WORDS FROM wearing

wear·ing·ly, adverb un·wear·ing, adjective

Words nearby wearing

wearable computer, wearable tech, wearable technology, weariful, weariless, wearing, wearing apparel, wearing course, wearisome, wearproof, weary

Definition for wearing (2 of 2)

wear

[ wair ]

/ wɛər /

verb (used with object), wore, worn, wear·ing.

to carry or have on the body or about the person as a covering, equipment, ornament, or the like: to wear a coat; to wear a saber; to wear a disguise.

to have or use on the person habitually: to wear a wig.

to bear or have in one's aspect or appearance: to wear a smile; to wear an air of triumph.

to cause (garments, linens, etc.) to deteriorate or change by wear: Hard use has worn these gloves.

to impair, deteriorate, or consume gradually by use or any continued process: Long illness had worn the bloom from her cheeks.

to waste or diminish gradually by rubbing, scraping, washing, etc.: The waves have worn these rocks.

to make (a hole, channel, way, etc.) by such action.

to bring about or cause a specified condition in (a person or thing) by use, deterioration, or gradual change: to wear clothes to rags; to wear a person to a shadow.

to weary; fatigue; exhaust: Toil and care soon wear the spirit.

to pass (time) gradually or tediously (usually followed by away or out): We wore the afternoon away in arguing.

Nautical. to bring (a vessel) on another tack by turning until the wind is on the stern.

British Dialect. to gather and herd (sheep or cattle) to a pen or pasture.

verb (used without object), wore, worn, wear·ing.

to undergo gradual impairment, diminution, reduction, etc., from wear, use, attrition, or other causes (often followed by away, down, out, or off).

to retain shape, color, usefulness, value, etc., under wear, use, or any continued strain: a strong material that will wear; colors that wear well.

(of time) to pass, especially slowly or tediously (often followed by on or away): As the day wore on, we had less and less to talk about.

to have the quality of being easy or difficult to tolerate, especially after a relatively long association: It's hard to get to know him, but he wears well.

Nautical. (of a vessel) to come round on another tack by turning away from the wind.

Obsolete. to be commonly worn; to be in fashion.

noun

the act of wearing; use, as of a garment: articles for winter wear; I've had a lot of wear out of this coat; I had to throw away the shirt after only three wears.

the state of being worn, as on the person.

clothing or other articles for wearing; especially when fashionable or appropriate for a particular function (often used in combination): travel wear; sportswear.

gradual impairment, wasting, diminution, etc., as from use: The carpet shows wear.

the quality of resisting deterioration with use; durability.

Verb Phrases

wear down,

to reduce or impair by long wearing: to wear down the heels of one's shoes.
to weary; tire: His constant talking wears me down.
to prevail by persistence; overcome: to wear down the opposition.

wear off, to diminish slowly or gradually or to diminish in effect; disappear: The drug began to wear off.

wear out,

to make or become unfit or useless through hard or extended use: to wear out clothes.
to expend, consume, or remove, especially slowly or gradually.
to exhaust, as by continued strain; weary: This endless bickering is wearing me out.

Origin of wear

before 900; (v.) Middle English weren to have (clothes) on the body, waste, damage, suffer waste or damage, Old English werian; cognate with Old Norse verja, Gothic wasjan to clothe; (noun) late Middle English were act of carrying on the body, derivative of the v.; akin to Latin vestis clothing (see vest)

SYNONYMS FOR wear

26c tire, fatigue, drain.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR wear ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM wear

wear·er, noun re·wear, verb, re·wore, re·worn, re·wear·ing.

Example sentences from the Web for wearing

She is wearing a crop top, and Andrew has his arm wrapped around her waist.

Buckingham Palace Disputes Sex Allegations Against Prince ‘Randy Andy’ |Tom Sykes |January 4, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Otis says he was wearing a tan jacket similar to one described by witnesses.

His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside |Justin Rohrlich |January 3, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
She was not wearing hejab but more surprising that that, is married to an Englishman.

50 Shades of Iran: The Mullahs’ Kinky Fantasies about Sex in the West |IranWire, Shima Sharabi |January 1, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Wearing the right foot of a chicken was considered good luck.

The History of the Chicken: How This Humble Bird Saved Humanity |William O’Connor |December 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Weirich said whenever she saw Fox, she was wearing something too tight.

Inside A Finishing School for Transwomen |Sharon Adarlo |December 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It fought every inch of the way, wearing down pony and rider until they were almost exhausted.

The Pony Rider Boys in Texas |Frank Gee Patchin
Then they reverted to the question of her wearing man's dress.

The Life of Joan of Arc, Vol. 1 and 2 (of 2) |Anatole France
Portrait of Rembrandt, seen in a front view, wearing a fur cap of a round form, and a mantle.

Rembrandt and His Works |John Burnet
He was carrying compromising papers and wearing civilian dress when seized by an American party and held under close arrest.

Washington and his Comrades in Arms |George Wrong
It was something of an advantage not to be wearing a helmet.

The Judas Valley |Gerald Vance

British Dictionary definitions for wearing (1 of 4)

wearing

/ (ˈwɛərɪŋ) /

adjective

causing fatigue or exhaustion; tiring

Derived forms of wearing

wearingly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for wearing (2 of 4)

Wear

/ (wɪə) /

noun

a river in NE England, rising in NW Durham and flowing southeast then northeast to the North Sea at Sunderland. Length: 105 km (65 miles)

British Dictionary definitions for wearing (3 of 4)

wear ¹

/ (wɛə) /

verb wears, wearing, wore or worn

(tr) to carry or have (a garment, etc) on one's person as clothing, ornament, etc

(tr) to carry or have on one's person habitually she wears a lot of red

(tr) to have in one's aspect to wear a smile

(tr) to display, show, or fly a ship wears its colours

to deteriorate or cause to deteriorate by constant use or action

to produce or be produced by constant rubbing, scraping, etc to wear a hole in one's trousers

to bring or be brought to a specified condition by constant use or action to wear a tyre to shreds

(intr) to submit to constant use or action in a specified way his suit wears well

(tr) to harass or weaken

(when intr, often foll by on) (of time) to pass or be passed slowly

(tr) British slang to accept Larry won't wear that argument

wear ship to change the tack of a sailing vessel, esp a square-rigger, by coming about so that the wind passes astern

noun

the act of wearing or state of being worn

anything designed to be wornleisure wear
(in combination)nightwear

deterioration from constant or normal use or action

the quality of resisting the effects of constant use

Derived forms of wear

wearer, noun

Word Origin for wear

Old English werian; related to Old High German werien, Old Norse verja, Gothic vasjan

British Dictionary definitions for wearing (4 of 4)

wear ²

/ (wɛə) /

verb wears, wearing, wore or worn

nautical to tack by gybing instead of by going through stays

Word Origin for wear

C17: from earlier weare, of unknown origin

Idioms and Phrases with wearing

wear

In addition to the idioms beginning with wear

wear and tear
wear another hat
wear down
wear off
wear one's heart on one's sleeve
wear out
wear out one's welcome
wear the pants
wear thin
wear two hats
wear well

also see:

hair shirt, wear a
if the shoe fits, wear it
none the worse for (wear)
worse for wear

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

wearing

adjective

Origin of wearing

OTHER WORDS FROM wearing

Words nearby wearing

Definition for wearing (2 of 2)

verb (used with object), wore, worn, wear·ing.

verb (used without object), wore, worn, wear·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of wear

SYNONYMS FOR wear

OTHER WORDS FROM wear

Example sentences from the Web for wearing

British Dictionary definitions for wearing (1 of 4)

adjective

Derived forms of wearing

British Dictionary definitions for wearing (2 of 4)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for wearing (3 of 4)

verb wears, wearing, wore or worn

noun

Derived forms of wear

Word Origin for wear

British Dictionary definitions for wearing (4 of 4)

verb wears, wearing, wore or worn

Word Origin for wear

Idioms and Phrases with wearing

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

wearing

adjective

Origin of wearing

OTHER WORDS FROM wearing

Words nearby wearing

Definition for wearing (2 of 2)

verb (used with object), wore, worn, wear·ing.

verb (used without object), wore, worn, wear·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of wear

SYNONYMS FOR wear

OTHER WORDS FROM wear

Words related to wearing

Example sentences from the Web for wearing

British Dictionary definitions for wearing (1 of 4)

adjective

Derived forms of wearing

British Dictionary definitions for wearing (2 of 4)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for wearing (3 of 4)

verb wears, wearing, wore or worn

noun

Derived forms of wear

Word Origin for wear

British Dictionary definitions for wearing (4 of 4)

verb wears, wearing, wore or worn

Word Origin for wear

Idioms and Phrases with wearing