1 wear
/ˈweɚ/
verb
wears;
wore
/ˈwoɚ/ ;
worn
/ˈwoɚn/ ;
wearing
1 wear
/ˈweɚ/
verb
wears;
wore
/ˈwoɚ/ ;
worn
/ˈwoɚn/ ;
wearing
Britannica Dictionary definition of WEAR
[+ object]
1
a
:
to use or have (something) as clothing
:
to have (a shirt, pants, etc.) over part of your body
-
He was wearing blue jeans.
-
She wore a red blouse to work.
-
White coats are often worn by doctors.
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b
:
to use or have (something) on your body
-
I don't wear glasses.
-
He doesn't wear a watch.
-
Are you wearing perfume?
-
a badge worn by police officers
-
Were you wearing a seat belt?
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c
:
to grow or arrange (your hair) in a particular way
-
She wears her hair in a ponytail.
-
I used to wear my hair long.
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He wears [=has] a beard now.
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2
:
to have or show (something, such as an emotion or facial expression) especially on your face
-
The teacher was wearing a frown/smile.
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I guess I wear my heart on my sleeve. [=show my emotions in an obvious way]
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3
a
:
to cause (something) to become thinner, weaker, etc., because of continued use over time
— used as (be) worn
-
The carpet was badly worn in some areas.
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b
:
to cause (something) to form gradually because of use
-
He wore a hole in his pants.
-
A path had been worn into the grass.
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4
somewhat formal
:
to make (someone) very tired
-
soldiers worn by the strain of war
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wear away
[phrasal verb]
wear away
or
wear (something) away
or
wear away (something)
:
to gradually disappear or to cause (something) to gradually disappear or become thinner, smaller, etc., because of use
-
The paint on the sign had worn away.
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Even a trickle of water will eventually wear rock away.
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— often used as (be) worn away
-
The table's finish was worn away.
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wear down
[phrasal verb]
1
wear (someone) down
or
wear down (someone)
:
to make (someone) tired or weak
-
The pressure at home and at work was wearing her down.
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2
:
to convince (someone) to do what you want by trying again and again
-
She pleaded until she had worn her parents down and they agreed to let her go to the party.
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wear many hats
— see hat
wear off
[phrasal verb]
:
to gradually decrease, disappear, or stop
-
The painkillers wore off [=stopped having an effect; stopped decreasing or removing pain] after a couple of hours.
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The shine on the leather will wear off pretty quickly. [=the leather will no longer be shiny after a short time]
-
After you drive a new car for a while, the novelty wears off. [=it is no longer exciting or new]
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wear on
[phrasal verb]
1
wear on (someone)
:
to annoy or bother (someone)
-
Their constant talking was wearing on me.
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2
:
to continue in a way that seems slow
-
As their visit wore on [=dragged on] she started hinting that it was time to leave.
-
as the day wore on
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wear out
[phrasal verb]
1
wear (someone) out
or
wear out (someone)
:
to make (someone) tired
-
All that work in the yard yesterday really wore me out.
-
She was worn out [=exhausted] from exercising.
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2
wear out
or
wear (something) out
or
wear out (something)
:
to become thinner, weaker, or no longer useful because of use or to cause (something) to become thinner, weaker, or no longer useful because of use
-
The tires wore out after 60,000 miles.
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You'll wear out your shoes doing that.
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— often used as (be) worn out
-
The tape is worn out.
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wear out your welcome
— see 4welcome
wear the pants
(US)
or British
wear the trousers
:
to be the leader
:
to make decisions for a group of people
-
She wears the pants [=she is in charge] in that family.
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wear thin
1
:
to become weak or ineffective
-
I'd been waiting almost an hour, and my patience was wearing thin. [=I was losing patience; I was beginning to get annoyed/upset]
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2
:
to become ineffective or uninteresting because of being too familiar or used too often
-
The comedy's plot relies on a case of mistaken identity, but the joke wears thin.
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His charm is beginning to wear thin.
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3
:
to become thin because of use
-
The rug by the door is wearing thin and needs to be replaced.
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wear through
[phrasal verb]
wear through (something)
or
wear (something) through
:
to use (something) so much that a hole develops in it
-
I've worn through two pairs of work shoes since I started this job.
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wear well
1
:
to remain in good condition after being used
-
The floor wears well even in high traffic areas.
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2
informal + humorous
:
to look younger than you are
-
For 70, she's wearing well.
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— wearer
noun,
plural
wearers
[count]
-
Some clothes look good on some wearers but not others.
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2 wear
/ˈweɚ/
noun
2 wear
/ˈweɚ/
noun
Britannica Dictionary definition of WEAR
[noncount]
1
a
:
the act of using something as clothing
:
the act of wearing something
-
shoes that are perfect for everyday wear
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b
:
the act of using something
-
The deck is built to withstand years of wear.
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I got a lot of wear out of these boots.
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2
:
clothing that is designed for a specified kind of person, occasion, or use
-
children's wear
-
a new line of evening wear
-
active wear
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— see also footwear, menswear, rainwear, sportswear, swimwear, underwear
3
:
damage that is caused by use
-
The carpet is showing signs of wear.
-
You should inspect the tires for wear.
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wear and tear
:
damage that happens to something when it is used for a period of time
-
The apartment showed no damage other than normal wear and tear.
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worse for (the) wear
◊ Someone or something that is slightly/somewhat/much (etc.) (the) worse for (the) wear looks worse after doing or experiencing something. He came out of basic training only slightly the worse for wear. The kids emerged from the woods looking none the worse for wear. [=looking no worse than they had looked before] [+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples
