Tear | Mean of tear in English Dictionary

/ˈteɚ/

• Verb
• to separate (something) into parts by pulling it, cutting it, etc.
1. He tore the letter in half.
2. They began tearing their presents open.
3. He tore apart the two tickets and handed one to me.
4. The dog tore the pillow to pieces/shreds.
5. Tear along the dotted line.
• to make (a hole or opening) in a piece of clothing, a piece of paper, etc., usually by cutting it on something sharp
1. She tore a hole in her sock when she jumped over the fence.
2. His coat got caught on a nail and tore.
3. His pants tore at the seam.
• to make (a hole, a path) in a violent or forceful way
1. The explosion tore a hole in the side of the building.
2. The new evidence could tear a hole in their theory. [=it could show that their theory is not correct]

• to cut or injure (skin, a muscle, etc.)
1. He tore a ligament in his left knee during football practice.
2. a torn leg muscle
3. When she fell, she tore the skin on her elbow.
• to remove (something) quickly or violently
1. The curtains had been torn from the windows.
2. She tore the book out of my hands.
3. They decided to tear out the kitchen's old cabinets.
4. He tore the page out of the magazine.
5. I wanted to tear her head off!
6. He tore off a piece of bread and ate it.
7. She tore a corner off of a sheet of paper and wrote her number on it.
8. Open up or we'll tear down this door!
9. The police officer grabbed him, but he managed to tear himself loose/free. [=to pull himself away from the police officer]
• to go or move very quickly
1. The kids tore into the house and up the stairs.
2. We watched the cars tear around the track.
3. He went tearing down the street on his bicycle.
4. The fire tore through the forest.
5. An epidemic was tearing through the region.
6. The bullet tore through his leg.
• to damage or harm (something, such as a country) very badly
1. The region has been torn [=ravaged] by disease and hunger for the last 50 years.
2. a country torn by violence
3. a war-torn country
• to cause (someone) to feel confused, upset, etc., especially about making a choice or decision
1. I can't decide, and it's tearing me apart!
2. It's tearing me up (inside).
3. I've been trying to decide, but I'm still torn. [=I'm still unable to decide]
4. She was torn by conflicting loyalties.
5. He is torn between his career and his responsibilities as a father.
6. a person torn between two lovers
• to completely destroy (something) by tearing it into pieces
1. I couldn't open the box nicely, so I just tore it apart.
2. The robbers tore apart the house [=they made a mess in the house] looking for the money.
3. We tore the other team apart [=we easily beat the other team] in yesterday's game.
4. Civil war threatened to tear apart the country.
5. We can't agree, and it's tearing our family apart.
• to criticize (someone or something) in a very harsh or angry way especially by describing weaknesses, flaws, etc.
1. The article tears apart the government's handling of the situation.
2. I thought it was a good movie, but she tore it apart.
3. They tore him apart when he left.
• to attack and pull pieces from (something) in a violent way
1. The cat tore at my pants with its claws.
2. wolves tearing at a dead deer
3. Those two are always tearing at each other's throats. [=always arguing with and harshly criticizing each other]
4. Her sadness tore at his heart. [=made him very upset/unhappy]
• to cause (someone) to leave or move away from something
1. I needed to leave the party, but I couldn't tear myself away.
2. She couldn't tear him away from the TV.
3. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the TV. [=he could not stop watching the TV]
• to completely destroy (something, such as a building or wall)
1. They tore down the old hospital and built a new one.
2. We're planning to tear down the wall between the kitchen and the dining room.
3. tearing down walls of injustice
4. They're trying to tear his reputation down.
• to begin doing (something) in a very quick or forceful way
1. The kids tore into the pizza. [=quickly began eating the pizza]
2. The band tore into the next song with a lot of energy.
• to criticize (someone or something) in a very harsh or angry way
1. My father tore into me for coming home an hour late.
2. The critics tore into her performance in the movie.
• to break apart and remove pieces of (something)
1. The city tore the street up to fix a broken water main.
2. They tore up 20 acres of forest and built a new shopping mall.
• to perform very well on or in (something)
1. They were tearing up the dance floor. [=they were dancing in very skillful, energetic, and impressive way]
2. He tore up the league last season.
• Noun
• a hole or opening in something (such as a piece of paper or cloth) that is made by cutting it or tearing it
1. The nail left a tear in his jacket.
2. She had a tear in her stockings.
3. She suffered a partial tear of the ligament in her right knee.
• having great success over a period of time
1. The team has been on a tear in recent weeks. [=has been playing very well, has been winning a lot of games]
2. The economy is on a tear, but can it last?
• a drop of liquid that comes from your eyes especially when you cry
1. A single tear ran down his cheek.
2. She wiped the tears from her eyes.
3. Let me wipe away your tears.
4. She was crying/weeping tears of anger/frustration/shame.
5. tear-filled eyes
6. That song brings a tear to my eye [=makes me cry a little] every time I hear it.
7. She suddenly burst into tears. [=started to cry]
8. He looked like he was close to tears. [=going to cry soon]
9. Come now. Dry your tears [=stop crying] and try to be happy.
10. I tried to fight back the tears. [=I tried not to cry]
11. I couldn't hold back my tears. [=I could not stop myself from crying]
12. The memory brought on a sudden flood of tears.
13. We were laughing so hard that we were in tears. [=tears were coming out of our eyes]
14. Everyone in the audience was moved to tears by their performance. [=their performance made everyone cry]
15. His hateful words reduced me to tears. [=they made me cry]
• to have an ending in which people are crying or unhappy
1. In our family, discussions about money always seem to end in tears.
• to cry or weep
1. They shed tears of joy/gratitude when they heard the news.
2. I never saw my father shed a single tear, even when my mother died.
• Verb
• to fill with tears
1. Why do your eyes tear when you cut onions?
2. His eyes started tearing up. = He started tearing up.