tearing
adjective
tear·ing ˈter-iŋ 
1
: causing continued or repeated pain or distress
2
: hasty, violent
3
chiefly British : splendid
Word History
First Known Use
1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1
tearing 1 of 2
adjective
as in cutting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- cutting
- penetrating
- shooting
- biting
- stabbing
- stinging
- piercing
- tingling
- smarting
- intense
- extreme
- violent
- raging
- sharp
- wrenching
- acute
- torturing
- fierce
- vehement
- exquisite
- agonizing
- racking
- tormenting
- harrowing
- excruciating
- torturous
tearing
2 of 2verb
1
as in ripping
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it angrily tore the letter to shreds Synonyms & Similar Words
- ripping
- rending
- shredding
- splitting
- breaking
- tattering
- cutting
- riving
- rupturing
- cleaving
- slashing
- ribboning
- lacerating
- dissecting
- gashing
- incising
- dismembering
- mangling
- butchering
- hacking
2
as in yanking
to separate or remove by forceful pulling tore the book from his hand Synonyms & Similar Words
- ripping
- yanking
- grabbing
- pulling
- wrenching
- snatching
- prying
- wresting
- seizing
- severing
- extracting
- forcing
- uprooting
- nabbing
- amputating
- jerking
- nipping
- dissevering
- prizing
- snapping (up)
- cutting (off)
- lopping (off)
- rooting (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- reattaching
3
as in hurrying
to proceed or move quickly she tore out of the room as soon as the phone started to ring Synonyms & Similar Words
- hurrying
- speeding
- rushing
- flying
- zipping
- scurrying
- racing
- driving
- traveling
- trotting
- ripping
- chasing
- jumping
- blowing
- running
- buzzing
- scooting
- darting
- travelling
- blasting
- stepping
- dashing
- scuttling
- ramming
- zooming
- bolting
- whirling
- blazing
- barreling
- shooting
- rustling
- hurtling
- hurling
- bowling
- hustling
- humping
- jogging
- nipping
- bundling
- careering
- hastening
- careening
- rocketing
- breezing
- pelting
- haring
- coursing
- hying
- belting
- whisking
- bustling
- jetting
- galloping
- barrelling
- motoring
- cannonballing
- bombing
- beating it
- hieing
- highballing
- scampering
- flitting
- streaking
- scuffling
- accelerating
- making tracks
- shaking a leg
- cracking (on)
- stepping on it
- getting a move on
- sprinting
- hotfooting (it)
- whizzing
- stampeding
- scudding
- beetling
- overtaking
- quickening
- outrunning
- outstripping
- outpacing
- arrowing
- stepping out
- catching up
- beelining
- fast-forwarding
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- creeping
- dragging
- crawling
- poking
- lingering
- poking
- hanging (around or out)
- lagging
- strolling
- shuffling
- loitering
- dawdling
- sauntering
- ambling
- dallying
- plodding
- decelerating
- lumbering
- tarrying
- slowing (down or up)
- dillydallying