26984 words

tears

13 definitions • 24 examples
1
to pull or be pulled apart, or to pull pieces off:

Examples:

You have to be very careful with books this old because the paper tears very easily.
I tore my skirt on the chair as I stood up.
be torn out of/from A couple of pages had been torn out of/from the book.
2
to move very quickly:

Examples:

He went tearing along the road after the bus.
3
a hole in a piece of paper, cloth, or other material, where it has been torn
4
having a period of success:

Examples:

The Sox finished the season on a tear, winning 70% of their last 66 games.
5
a drop of salty liquid that flows from the eye, as a result of strong emotion, especially unhappiness, or pain:

Examples:

tears of She cried tears of remorse/regret/happiness/joy/laughter.
tears in someone’s eyes Did you notice the tears in his eyes when he talked about Diane?
reduce someone to tears Why do arguments with you always reduce me to tears (= make me cry)?
shed (any) tears I won't shed (any) tears (= I will not be unhappy) when he goes, I can tell you!
6
to cause someone to cry or to have tears in their eyes:

Examples:

This song always brings tears to my eyes.
7
to suddenly start to cry:

Examples:

She burst into tears and started screaming.
8

Examples:

I found him in tears in his bedroom.
9
(of eyes) to produce tears:

Examples:

Why do our eyes tear when we're cutting onions?
10
a drop of salty liquid that flows from the eye when it is hurt or as a result of strong emotion, esp. unhappiness or pain:

Examples:

By the end of the movie I had tears in my eyes (= I was ready to cry).
The boy had lost his money and was in tears (= crying).
11
to pull or be pulled apart or away from something else, or to cause this to happen to something:

Examples:

[ T ] I caught my shirt on a nail and tore the sleeve.
[ T ] I tore a hole in my sleeve.
[ T ] Several pages had been torn out of the book.
[ M ] She tore off a strip of bandage and wrapped it around the wound.
[ M ] He angrily tore the letter up (= into small pieces).
[ M ] They tore down (= destroyed) the old building.
12
to move very quickly; to rush:

Examples:

She was late and went tearing around the house looking for her car keys.
13
a hole or opening in something that is made by pulling apart or away from something else:

Examples:

There’s a tear in the lining of my coat.

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