tear
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A drop of the clear salty saline solution secreted by the lacrimal glands.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
tehrnoun: teerverb: tair
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈtɛɹ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A drop of the clear salty saline solution secreted by the lacrimal glands
“His story brought tears to her eyes.”
A drop of clear, salty liquid produced from the eyes by crying or irritation.
Something in the form of a transparent drop of fluid matter; also, a solid, transparent, tear-shaped drop, as of some balsams or resins.
That which causes or accompanies tears; a lament; a dirge.
A hole or break caused by tearing.
The act of tearing
“He took the manuscript in both hands and gave it a mighty tear.”
verb
transitive
To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate.
transitive
To injure as if by pulling apart.
transitive
To destroy or reduce abstract unity or coherence, such as social, political or emotional.
transitive
To make (an opening) with force or energy.
intransitive
To move or act with great speed, energy, or violence.
intransitive
To smash or enter something with great force.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A drop of the clear salty saline solution secreted by the lacrimal glands
Used this way, tear is a common word with a clearly warm, approving pull. It quietly approves while staying precise.
“His story brought tears to her eyes.”
- Emotional tone
- Positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Gentle
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Clear and precise
- Usage feel
- Precise and approving
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “tear to …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: tear to …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Dropnoun
“His story brought tears to her eyes.”
Tearingnoun
“He took the manuscript in both hands and gave it a mighty tear.”
More ways to use tear
- “He took the manuscript in both hands and gave it a mighty tear.”noun
- “His story brought tears to her eyes.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
The process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds).
Shedding tears.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A sheet that can be easily torn out of a publication.
Tear into shreds.
Complete destruction of a building.
Remove by pulling or ripping violently and forcefully.
Express a totally negative opinion of.
Tear down so as to make flat with the ground.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.