tear

Eye's sad secretion

Tear represents two different English words that have settled on the same spelling.

One is the drop of liquid from the eye—tears flow when we cry, and we speak of tears of joy or being moved to tears.

The other tear means to rip or pull apart forcefully: She tore the letter in half.

To tear also means to move with violent haste: He tore down the street.

A tear is the resulting rip: a tear in the fabric.

To be torn is to feel conflicted between options.

The two words are distinguished by pronunciation: the eye produces a "teer," while ripping creates a "tare."

rip

shred

Torn fragment

ripTear apart forcibly
tatterTorn cloth fragment
fabricWoven or knit material

cloth · paper · perforation · split · fray · snag · hole · gash · slit · seam

emotion

cry

Vocal expression of emotion

weepShed tears emotionally
sobConvulsive weeping
sorrowDeep emotional distress

grief · sadness · heartache · anguish · melancholy · despair · bittersweet · nostalgia · empathy · sympathy

injury

laceration

Torn, ragged wound

woundCoiled, or an injury
cutSeverance or reduction
gashDeep, ragged incision

abrasion · scratch · graze · nick · slice · skin · bleeding · flesh · bandage · heal

eye

duct

Tube conveying fluid

glandSecreting body organ
eyelidMovable ocular covering
corneaEye's clear outer dome

saline · lubrication · blink · watery · welling · moist · dryness · irritation · reflex · onion

hurry

dash

Quick burst or pinch

sprintBrief maximum-speed effort
raceCompetition of speed
rushQuick sudden movement

bolt · zoom · hurtle · charge · barrel · speed · hasten · gallop · scamper · flee

Categories

clothing flawshole, rip, stain, wrinkle, fading
damagebreakage, break, crack, fracture, dent
defectsdefect, flaw, crack, cracks, defective
destruction verbsdestroy, demolish, wreck, ruin, smash
gapsgap, rift, void, chasm, crack
harmsharm, damage, injury, hurt, wound

Opposites

physical integrity

tearmend

Restore after damage

repair · sew · fix · patch · stitch

speed of movement

Move slowly, low

creep · saunter · amble · dawdle · stroll

emotional expression

Pleased facial expression

laughter · grin · joy · laugh · beam

Phrases

tear upShred or become emotional
in tearsActively crying
tear apartForcefully separate into pieces
wear and tearGradual damage from use
tear downDestroy a structure
burst into tearsCry suddenly, uncontrollably

Family

tears, tearful, tearing, teardrop, teared, tearfully, tearless, tearaway, teardrops

Familiarity: Top 1,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G