wear
verb /weə(r)/
/wer/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they wear | /weə(r)/ /wer/ |
| he / she / it wears | /weəz/ /werz/ |
| past simple wore | /wɔː(r)/ /wɔːr/ |
| past participle worn | /wɔːn/ /wɔːrn/ |
| -ing form wearing | /ˈweərɪŋ/ /ˈwerɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] wear something to have something on your body as a piece of clothing, a decoration, etc.
- He was wearing a new suit.
- to wear clothes/clothing
- to wear a shirt/hat/uniform
- to wear shoes/glasses
- Do I have to wear a tie?
- Was she wearing a seat belt?
- She never wears make-up.
- All delegates must wear a badge.
- She always wears black (= black clothes).
- I've got nothing to wear.
- One woman decided to wear flowers in her hair.
Homophones ware | wear | whereware wear where/weə(r)//wer/- ware noun
- The products include porcelain and ceramic ware.
- wear verb
- Don't wear that jacket—it's far too big!
- wear noun
- Comfortable and smart, this jacket is suitable for office wear.
- where adverb
- Where are you going on your next adventure?
- where conjunction
- He was free to go where he liked.
Homophones war | worewar wore/wɔː(r)//wɔːr/- war noun
- It's in memory of the soldiers who gave their lives during the war.
- wore verb (past tense of wear)
- He wore his raincoat all day, even though it was sunny.
Collocations Clothes and fashionClothes and fashionClothes- be wearing a new outfit/bright colours/fancy dress/fur/uniform
- be (dressed) in black/red/jeans and a T-shirt/your best suit/leather/silk/rags (= very old torn clothes)
- be dressed for work/school/dinner/a special occasion
- be dressed as a man/woman/clown/pirate
- wear/dress in casual/designer/second-hand clothes
- wear jewellery/accessories/a watch/glasses/contact lenses/perfume
- have a cowboy hat/red dress/blue suit on
- put on/take off your clothes/coat/shoes/helmet
- pull on/pull off your coat/gloves/socks
- change into/get changed into a pair of jeans/your pyjamas
- change/enhance/improve your appearance
- create/get/have/give something a new/contemporary/retro look
- brush/comb/shampoo/wash/blow-dry your hair
- have/get a haircut/your hair cut/a new hairstyle
- have/get a piercing/your nose pierced
- have/get a tattoo/a tattoo done (on your arm)/a tattoo removed
- have/get a makeover/cosmetic surgery
- use/wear/apply/put on make-up/cosmetics
- follow/keep up with (the) fashion/the latest fashions
- spend/waste money on designer clothes
- be fashionably/stylishly/well dressed
- have good/great/terrible/awful taste in clothes
- update/revamp your wardrobe
- be in/come into/go out of fashion
- be (back/very much) in vogue
- create a style/trend/vogue for something
- organize/put on a fashion show
- show/unveil a designer’s spring/summer collection
- sashay/strut down the catwalk/(North American English also) runway
- be on/do a photo/fashion shoot
Extra ExamplesTopics Clothes and Fashiona1- She wears purple shoes with red polka dots.
- He had forgotten to wear his gloves.
- He is entitled to wear the regimental tie.
- I tend to wear a jacket to work.
- I will probably choose to wear jeans.
- She refused to wear prison clothes.
- They came in, proudly wearing their uniforms.
- the first time that I had ever dared to wear something like this
- Do you have to wear a suit for work?
- He wasn't wearing his raincoat, he was carrying it over his arm.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- proudly
- comfortably
- tend to
- prefer to
- choose to
- …
- [transitive] to have your hair in a particular style; to have a beard or moustache
- wear something + adj. She wears her hair long.
- Hannah preferred to wear her hair short.
- wear something to wear a beard
- [transitive] wear something to have a particular expression on your face
- He wore a puzzled look on his face.
- His face wore a puzzled look.
- Both men wore confident smiles.
- She turned to us, wearing a blank expression.
- [intransitive, transitive] to become, or make something become thinner, smoother or weaker through continuous use or rubbing
- The carpets are starting to wear.
- A racing car's rear end gets very loose as the tyres wear.
- wear + adj. The sheets have worn thin.
- wear something + adj. The stones have been worn smooth by the constant flow of water.
- [transitive] wear something + adv./prep. to make a hole, path, etc. in something by continuous use or rubbing
- I've worn holes in all my socks.
- The water had worn a channel in the rock.
- [intransitive] wear well to stay in good condition after being used for a long time
- That carpet is wearing well, isn't it?
- (figurative, humorous) You're wearing well—only a few grey hairs!
- Those curtains have worn very well.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- badly
- well
- [transitive] (usually used in questions and negative sentences) wear something (British English, informal) to accept or allow something, especially something that you do not approve of
- It's an interesting proposal, but the rich countries are never going to wear it.
clothing/decoration
hair
expression on face
damage with use
stay in good condition
accept/allow
Word OriginOld English werian, of Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin vestis ‘clothing’.
Idioms
if the shoe fits (, wear it) (North American English)
(British English if the cap fits (, wear it))
- if you feel that a remark applies to you, you should accept it and take it as a warning or criticism
wear your heart on your sleeve
- to allow your feelings to be seen by other people
- He’s not one to wear his heart on his sleeve.
wear thin
- to begin to become weaker or less acceptable
- These excuses are wearing a little thin (= because we've heard them so many times before).
- My patience is beginning to wear very thin.
wear the trousers (British English)
(North American English wear the pants)
- (often disapproving) (especially of a woman) to be the person in a marriage or other relationship who makes most of the decisions
- It’s obvious who wears the trousers in that family!