Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense wears, present participle wearing, past tense wore, past participle worn
1. verb
When you wear something such as clothes, shoes, or jewellery, you have them on your body or on part of your body.
He was wearing a brown uniform. [VERB noun]
I sometimes wear contact lenses. [VERB noun]
She can't make her mind up what to wear. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: be dressed in, have on, dress in, be clothed in More Synonyms of wear
2. verb
If you wear your hair or beard in a particular way, you have it cut or styled in that way.
She wore her hair in a long braid. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
He wore a full moustache. [VERB noun]
3. verb
If you wear a particular expression, that expression is on your face and shows the emotions that you are feeling.
When we drove through the gates, she wore a look of amazement. [VERB noun]
Millson's face wore a satisfied expression. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: show, present, bear, display More Synonyms of wear
4. uncountable noun
You use wear to refer to clothes that are suitable for a certain time or place. For example, evening wear is clothes suitable for the evening.
The shop stocks an extensive range of beach wear.
Bring informal casual wear.
Synonyms: clothes, things, dress, gear [informal] More Synonyms of wear
5. uncountable noun
Wear is the amount or type of use that something has over a period of time.
You'll get more wear out of a hat if you choose one in a neutral colour.
Rugs in the bedrooms got much less wear.
Synonyms: usefulness, use, service, employment More Synonyms of wear
6. uncountable noun
Wear is the damage or change that is caused by something being used a lot or for a long time.
...a large, well-upholstered armchair which showed signs of wear.
Synonyms: damage, wear and tear, use, erosion More Synonyms of wear
7. verb
If something wears, it becomes thinner or weaker because it is constantly being used over a long period of time.
The stone steps, dating back to 1855, are beginning to wear. [VERB]
Your horse needs new shoes if the shoe has worn thin or smooth. [VERB adjective]
8. verb
You can use wear to talk about how well something lasts over a period of time. For example, if something wears well, it still seems quite new or useful after a long time or a lot of use.
Casual shoes need to wear well. [VERB adverb]
Ten years on, the original concept was wearing well. [VERB adverb]
Synonyms: last, survive, endure, hold up More Synonyms of wear
9.
See to wear the trousers
10.
See wear thin
11.
See wear thin
12.
See the worse for wear
Phrasal verbs:
See wear away
See wear down
See wear off
See wear on
See wear out
More Synonyms of wear
wear in British English1
(wɛə)
verbWord forms: wears, wearing, wore or worn
1. (transitive)
to carry or have (a garment, etc) on one's person as clothing, ornament, etc
2. (transitive)
to carry or have on one's person habitually
she wears a lot of red
3. (transitive)
to have in one's aspect
to wear a smile
4. (transitive)
to display, show, or fly
a ship wears its colours
5.
to deteriorate or cause to deteriorate by constant use or action
6.
to produce or be produced by constant rubbing, scraping, etc
to wear a hole in one's trousers
7.
to bring or be brought to a specified condition by constant use or action
to wear a tyre to shreds
8. (intransitive)
to submit to constant use or action in a specified way
his suit wears well
9. (transitive)
to harass or weaken
10. (whenintr, often foll by on)
(of time) to pass or be passed slowly
11. (transitive) British slang
to accept
Larry won't wear that argument
12. wear ship
noun
13.
the act of wearing or state of being worn
14.
a.
anything designed to be worn
leisure wear
b.
(in combination)
nightwear
15.
deterioration from constant or normal use or action
16.
the quality of resisting the effects of constant use
Derived forms
wearer (ˈwearer)
noun
Word origin
Old English werian; related to Old High German werien, Old Norse verja, Gothic vasjan
wear in British English2
(wɛə)
verbWord forms: wears, wearing, wore or worn
nautical
to tack by gybing instead of by going through stays
Word origin
C17: from earlier weare, of unknown origin
Wear in British English
(wɪə)
noun
a river in NE England, rising in NW Durham and flowing southeast then northeast to the North Sea at Sunderland. Length: 105 km (65 miles)
Wear in American English
(wɪr)
river in Durham, N England, flowing northeast into the North Sea: 67 mi (108 km)
wear in American English1
(wɛr)
verb transitiveWord forms: wore, worn, ˈwearing
1.
a.
to have on the body or carry on the person (clothing, jewelry, a weapon, etc.)
b.
to hold the position or rank symbolized by
to wear the heavyweight crown
c.
to dress in (a specified kind of attire) so as to be in style
what college students are wearing this fall
2.
to have or show in one's expression or appearance
to wear a smile, wearing an air of expectancy
3.
to be fitted with or have on the person habitually
to wear dentures
4.
to have or bear as a characteristic or attribute
to wear a beard, to wear one's hair long
5.
to fly or show (its flag)
said of a ship
6.
to impair, consume, or diminish as by constant use, handling, or friction
often with away
7.
to bring by use to a specified state
to wear a coat to rags
8.
to make, cause, or produce by the friction of rubbing, scraping, flowing, etc.
to wear a hole in the sole of one's shoe
9.
to tire or exhaust (a person)
10.
to pass (time) slowly or tediously
often with away or out
verb intransitive
11.
to become impaired, consumed, or diminished by constant use, friction, etc.
shoes that have begun to wear
12.
to hold up in use as specified; bear continued use or handling; last
a suit that wears well
13.
to become in time; grow gradually
courage that is wearing thin
14.
to pass away gradually
often with away or on: said of time [the year wore on]
15.
to have an irritating or exhausting effect (on)
noise wearing on our nerves
noun
16.
the act of wearing or the state of being worn
17.
things, esp. clothes, worn, or for wearing, on the body [children's wear]
often in combination [sportswear, footwear]
18.
the fashion or proper style of dress or the like
19.
a.
the gradual impairment, loss, or diminution from use, friction, etc.
b.
the amount of such loss
20.
the ability to resist impairment or loss from use, friction, etc.
a lot of wear left in the tire
Idioms:
wear down
wear off
wear out
wear the pants
Derived forms
wearer (ˈwearer)
noun
Word origin
ME weren < OE werian, akin to ON verja, Goth wasjan, to clothe < IE base *wes-, to clothe > Sans vastra-, L vestis, clothing, vestire, to clothe
wear in American English2
(wɛr)
verb transitiveWord forms: wore, worn, ˈwearing
1.
to turn or bring (a vessel) about by swinging its bow away from the wind; veer
see also tack (sense 12) tack (sense 12a)
verb intransitive
2.
to turn or come about by having the bow swung away from the wind
noun
3.
the act of wearing a ship
Word origin
? altered (infl. by wear1) < veer2
wear in Mechanical Engineering
(wɛər)
noun
(Mechanical engineering: Materials)
Wear is a process in which material is gradually removed from one or more surfaces thatare in contact.
Dust works its way into the bearings and cylinder, causing unnecessary wear.
The main purpose of lubricants is to reduce wear of rubbing parts.
Wear is a process in which material is gradually removed from one or more surfaces thatare in contact.
More idioms containing
wear
wear your heart on your sleeve
wear a hair shirt
wear yourself to a frazzle
if the cap fits, wear it
wear the trousers
the worse for wear
Examples of 'wear' in a sentence
wear
Does she get to wear a big white wedding dress?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
These are thick enough to wear well into autumn.
The Sun (2016)
Alpha women have long been wearing dresses to the office.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
One said we wore dressing gowns when taking a different path to the sheds.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He wears far too much hairspray for my liking.
The Sun (2016)
The easiest way to wear it?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They look really good with jeans, but you could wear them with something smarter.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Remember when we all used to wear baggy, loose jeans and we thought that was really cool?
The Sun (2016)
But most important, by far, is the number of times consumers wear a garment before throwing it out.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
We had to wear normal clothes right the way through.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Or just get him to wear them in the bedroom.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
You might as well just wear dental floss.
The Sun (2016)
Women take clothes they no longer wear and exchange them for what they like.
The Sun (2008)
What else does one wear with a slouchy pyjama trouser suit?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The staging and scenery showed signs of much wear.
Susie Gilbert and Jay Shir A TALE OF FOUR HOUSES: Opera at Covent Garden, La Scala, Vienna and the Met since1945 (2003)
It always feels great to wear something new.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We love the way he wears that parka.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In a leg that you wear all the time in your real life.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Swimming attire should be worn only on beaches or at swimming pools.
The Sun (2015)
He wore casual team gear and an air of slight indifference.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We need to make very sure that we are wearing clothes.
Bethune, Helen Positive Parent Power (1991)
She had two pairs and used to wear a red one with a green one.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
On normal days he wore a casual jacket with many pockets.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You may as well wear sponges for shoes.
The Sun (2010)
Wear them long and tuck your bottoms into them.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
So why on earth does he wear that one?
The Sun (2007)
The bond had suffered much wear and tear.
John Garth TOLKIEN AND THE GREAT WAR: The Threshold of Middle-earth (2003)
At a party you will not be the only person wearing something false.
Steel, Elizabeth Coping With Sudden Hair Loss (1988)
Any style she wears sells five times better than others.
The Sun (2012)
There were things she refused to do, such as wearing anything involving buttons.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Who gets to wear the trousers has always mattered, of course.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Undoubtedly, the most modern way to wear warm red is with white.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
wear
British English: wear /wɛə/ VERB
When you wear clothes, shoes, or jewellery, you have them on your body.
He was wearing a brown uniform.
American English: wear
Arabic: يَرْتَدِي
Brazilian Portuguese: vestir
Chinese: 穿
Croatian: nositi
Czech: nosit mít na sobě
Danish: have på
Dutch: dragen kledingstuk
European Spanish: llevar puesto
Finnish: pitää yllään
French: porter
German: tragen Kleidung
Greek: φορώ
Italian: indossare
Japanese: 身に着けている
Korean: (옷을) 입다
Norwegian: ha på (seg)
Polish: nosić
European Portuguese: vestir
Romanian: a purta
Russian: носить
Latin American Spanish: llevar puesto
Swedish: ha på sig
Thai: สวมใส่
Turkish: giymek
Ukrainian: носити
Vietnamese: mặc quần áo
All related terms of 'wear'
wear on
If you say that time wears on , you mean that it passes , especially when it seems to pass slowly.
ski-wear
clothes that are intended for skiing
wear away
If you wear something away or if it wears away , it becomes thin and eventually disappears because it is used a lot or rubbed a lot.
wear down
If you wear something down or if it wears down , it becomes flatter or smoother as a result of constantly rubbing against something else.
wear gear
The gear involved in a particular activity is the equipment or special clothing that you use.
wear off
If a sensation or feeling wears off , it disappears slowly until it no longer exists or has any effect.
wear out
When something wears out or when you wear it out , it is used so much that it becomes thin or weak and unable to be used any more.
wear ship
to change the tack of a sailing vessel, esp a square-rigger , by coming about so that the wind passes astern
wear thin
If your patience or temper is wearing thin , you are becoming annoyed and are likely to get angry soon .
bridal wear
clothes specially designed for brides
casual wear
informal articles of clothing or footwear
wear gloves
Gloves are pieces of clothing which cover your hands and wrists and have individual sections for each finger . You wear gloves to keep your hands warm or dry or to protect them.
evening wear
smart clothing designed for wearing at formal occasions during the evening
slumber wear
nightclothes
utility wear
casual clothing that was originally intended for a particular activity, such as snowboarding or skiing
wear-resistant
resistant to damage from normal wear or usage
ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear clothes are made in standard sizes so that they fit most people, rather than being made specially for a particular person.
Tyne and Wear
a metropolitan county of NE England, administered since 1986 by the unitary authorities of Newcastle upon Tyne , North Tyneside , Gateshead , South Tyneside, and Sunderland . Area: 540 sq km (208 sq miles)
wash-and-wear
(of fabrics , garments , etc) requiring only light washing , short drying time, and little or no ironing
wear and tear
Wear and tear is the damage or change that is caused to something when it is being used normally .
wear the pants
to have the greatest authority in a family
wear the trousers
to be the person in a couple who makes all the important decisions
menswear
Menswear is clothing for men.
the worse for wear
If you say that someone is the worse for wear , you mean that they are tired , ill , or in a bad state because they have been very active , been through a difficult experience , or been drinking alcohol .
wear a hair shirt
to deliberately make your own life unpleasant or uncomfortable in a way that is not necessary
activewear
clothing for wear while engaging in sports, recreation , etc.; sportswear
wear out one's welcome
to come more often or stay longer than is acceptable or pleasing
if the cap fits, wear it
said to suggest that someone should consider whether unpleasant or critical remarks which have been made about them are true or fair . The American expression is if the shoe fits .
wear yourself to a frazzle
to feel mentally and physically exhausted because you have been working too hard or because you have been constantly worrying about something
wear your heart on your sleeve
to allow your feelings to be obvious to everyone around you
pull a long face
to look sad , glum , disapproving , etc.
wear one's heart on one's sleeve
If you wear your heart on your sleeve , you openly show your feelings or emotions rather than keeping them hidden .
to wear the trousers to wear the pants
If one person in a couple wears the pants , or in British English wears the trousers , they are the one who makes all the decisions .
wear yourself/be worn to a frazzle
If you wear yourself to a frazzle , or if you are worn to a frazzle , you feel mentally and physically exhausted because you have been working too hard or because you have been constantly worrying about something.