Meaning

11 senses
  1. (transitive)To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate.

    He tore his coat on the nail.

    reißen, zerreißen

    рватьrvatʹ, порва́тьporvátʹ, разрыва́тьrazryvátʹ

    рва́тиrváty, де́ртиdérty, розрива́тиrozryváty

  2. (transitive)To injure as if by pulling apart.

    He tore some muscles in a weight-lifting accident.

  3. (transitive)To destroy or reduce abstract unity or coherence, such as social, political or emotional.

    He was torn by conflicting emotions.

  4. (transitive)To make (an opening) with force or energy.

    A piece of debris tore a tiny straight channel through the satellite.

    His boss will tear him a new one when he finds out.

  5. (often, transitive)To remove by tearing, or with sudden great force.

    Tear the coupon out of the newspaper.

    herausreißen, abreißen

    отрыва́тьotryvátʹ, оторва́тьotorvátʹ, срыва́тьsryvátʹ

    віддиратиviddyraty, відде́ртиviddérty, зрива́тиzryváty

  6. (transitive, with down)To demolish.

    The slums were torn down to make way for the new development.

    abreißen

    разруша́тьrazrušátʹ, разру́шитьrazrúšitʹ, сноси́тьsnosítʹ

    руйнува́тиrujnuváty, зруйнува́тиzrujnuváty, зно́ситиznósyty

  7. (intransitive)To become torn, especially accidentally.

    My dress has torn.

    reißen, einreißen, abreißen

    рва́тьсяrvátʹsja, порва́тьсяporvátʹsja

  8. (intransitive)To move or act with great speed, energy, or violence.

    He went tearing down the hill at 90 miles per hour.

    The tornado lingered, tearing through town, leaving nothing upright.

    нести́сьnestísʹ

    нести́сяnestýsja

  9. (intransitive)To smash or enter something with great force.

    The chain shot tore into the approaching line of infantry.

  10. (intransitive)To be interrupted midway through.

    torn write

  11. (intransitive)To produce tears.

    Her eyes began to tear in the harsh wind.

    tränen

Examples

1676 sentences
  1. I saw tears in her eyes.

    Я бачив сльози в її очах.

    ruЯ увидел в её глазах слёзы.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  2. He tried to keep back his tears.

    Він намагався стримати свої сльози.

    ruОн пытался сдержать свои слёзы.

    deEr versuchte seine Tränen zurückzuhalten.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  3. I see tears in your eyes.

    Бачу сльози в твоїх очах.

    ruВижу слёзы в твоих глазах.

    deIch sehe Tränen in deinen Augen.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · Dorenda · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  4. She broke into tears.

    Вона розплакалася.

    ruОна расплакалась.

    deSie brach in Tränen aus.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  5. She couldn't stop the tears.

    Вона не могла стримати сліз.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 4
to rend:
to remove by tearing:
to demolish; to tear down — see also demolish:
to move at excessive speed, act with energy:
Русский
By meaning 5
to rend:
to remove by tearing:
to demolish; to tear down — see also demolish:
to become torn:
to move at excessive speed, act with energy:
Deutsch
By meaning 4
to rend:
to remove by tearing:
to become torn:
to produce tears:

Origin

From Middle English teren, from Old English teran (“to tear, lacerate”), from Proto-German

From Middle English teren, from Old English teran (“to tear, lacerate”), from Proto-Germanic *teraną (“to tear, tear apart, rip”), from Proto-Indo-European *der- (“to tear, tear apart”).

From Middle English tear, teer, teere, ter, tere, tyar, tyear, tyer, tær (“tear”), from Old English teagor, tēar, tæher, from Proto-West Germanic *tahr, from Proto-Germanic *tahrą (“tear”), from Proto-Indo-European *dáḱru- (“tear”).

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

tears, tearing, tore, torn
Base formtear · to tear
3rd person singulartears
Present participletearing
Past simpletore / teared
Past participletorn / teared

irregular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theytear
he, she, ittears

Past simpleLesson

all personstore

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave torn
he, she, ithas torn

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill tear

Phrasal verbs

8 phrasal verbs

Synonyms

5 synonyms
break:ripB2rend
remove by tearing:rip outtear offtear out

Word family

28 related words

Collocations

12 patterns
  • burst into tears
  • tear gas
  • tore up the
  • fired tear gas
  • tore down the
  • wear and tear
  • with tears in
  • police fired tear
  • shed any tears
  • tore the letter
  • moved to tears
  • tears ran down

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
tear — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto