—tear /teər/ aep /ter/
noun [C]
► F0 a hole in a piece of paper, cloth, or other material, where it has been tornThesaurus+: ↑Tearing and breaking into piecesThesaurus+: ↑Holes, hollows and dips• • •
Extra Examples:» He brushed away a tear from the corner of his eye.» As she read the poem, their eyes filled up with tears.» She was so tired and overwrought that she burst into tears.» There were tears streaming down the child's face.» He was in tears and obviously very upset.verb [I + adv/prep] (tore, torn) INFORMAL (HURRY) ↑Verb Endings for tear
► F0 to move very quickly: » He went tearing along the road after the bus.Thesaurus+: ↑Moving quicklyverb [I or T] (tore, torn) (PULL APART) ↑Verb Endings for tear
► B1 to pull or be pulled apart, or to pull pieces off: » You have to be very careful with books this old because the paper tends to tear very easily.» I tore my skirt on the chair as I stood up.» A couple of pages had been torn out of/from the book.Thesaurus+: ↑Tearing and breaking into pieces• • •
Extra Examples:» She tried to tear a small piece off the edge.» I tore off a piece of paper.» The dog's claws tore her dress.» The sheet tore right down the middle.» You need to tear off the top of the packet. tear /tɪər/ aep /tɪr/ noun
B1 [C usually plural] a drop of salty liquid that flows from the eye, as a result of strong emotion, especially unhappiness, or pain:
» tears of remorse/regret/happiness/joy/laughter» Did you notice the tears in his eyes when he talked about Diane?» Why do arguments with you always reduce me to tears (= make me cry)?» I won't shed (any) tears (= I will not be unhappy) when he goes, I can tell you!Thesaurus+: ↑Bodily fluids and their production , ↑Urine and urinatingThesaurus+: ↑Weeping and cryingburst into tearsB1 to suddenly start to cry
Thesaurus+: ↑Weeping and cryingin tearsB1 crying:
» I found him in tears in his bedroom.Thesaurus+: ↑Weeping and cryingWord Builder:–Nouns: tear–Adjectives: tearful–Adverbs: tearfully- ↑Cowardly
- ↑Crafts
- ↑Creating a distraction
- ↑Creating alliances
- ↑Creating and producing
- ↑Cricket
- ↑Crime - general words
- ↑Crimes against property
- ↑Criminals - general words
- ↑Critical and uncomplimentary
- ↑Crossing and moving through
- ↑Crude and basic
- ↑Curiosity
- ↑Currencies
- ↑Curtains and wallpaper
- ↑Cushions and furniture coverings
- ↑Custom, tradition and conformity
- ↑Cutlery
- ↑Cuts of meat
- ↑Cutting and stabbing
- ↑Cutting off and disconnecting
- ↑Dairy products and eggs
- ↑Damaging and spoiling
- ↑Damaging reputation
- ↑Dance and choreography in general