Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

wear1

Syllabification: (wear)
Pronunciation: /we(ə)r/
Translate wear | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of wear

verb (past wore /wôr/; past participle worn /wôrn/)

  • 1 [with object] have on one’s body or a part of one’s body as clothing, decoration, protection, or for some other purpose:he was wearing a dark suit both ladies wore a bunch of violets
  • habitually have on one’s body or be dressed in:although she was a widow, she didn’t wear black
  • exhibit or present (a particular facial expression or appearance):they wear a frozen smile on their faces
  • [with object or adverbial] have (one’s hair or beard) at a specified length or arranged in a specified style:the students wore their hair long
  • (of a ship) fly (a flag).
  • 2 [with object or complement] damage, erode, or destroy by friction or use:the track has been worn down in part to bare rock
  • [no object or complement] undergo damage, erosion, or destruction by friction or use:mountains are wearing down with each passing second
  • [with object] form (a hole, path, etc.) by constant friction or use:the water was forced up through holes it had worn
  • [no object] (wear on) cause weariness or fatigue to:some losses can wear on you
  • 3 [no object] withstand continued use or life in a specified way:a carpet-type finish seems to wear well
  • [with object, usually with negative] British informal tolerate; accept:the environmental health people wouldn’t wear it
  • 4 [no object] (wear on) (of a period of time) pass, especially slowly or tediously:as the afternoon wore on, he began to look unhappy
  • [with object] literary pass (a period of time) in some activity:spinning long stories, wearing half the day

noun

  • 1the wearing of something or the state of being worn as clothing:some new tops for wear in the evening
  • 2 [with modifier] clothing suitable for a particular purpose or of a particular type:evening wear
  • 3damage or deterioration sustained from continuous use:you need to make a deduction for wear and tear on all your belongings
  • the capacity for withstanding continuous use without damage:old things were relegated to the bedrooms because there was plenty of wear left in them

Phrases

wear one's heart on one's sleeve

see heart.

wear thin

be gradually used up or become less convincing or acceptable:his patience was wearing thin the joke had started to wear thin

wear the pants

see pants.

Phrasal Verbs

wear someone/something down

overcome or exhaust someone or something by persistence.

wear off

lose effectiveness or intensity.

wear something out (or wear out)

  • 1use or be used until no longer in good condition or working order:wearing out the stair carpet the type was used again and again until it wore out
  • 2 (wear someone/something out) exhaust or tire someone or something:an hour of this wandering wore out Lampard’s patience

Derivatives

wearer

noun

Origin:

Old English werian, of Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin vestis 'clothing'

wear in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of wear in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite
Oxford Dictionaries Pro

For Oxford's best resources for writers, plus thesaurus, audio, and 1.9m examples.

GET PRO ►

Shop for an Oxford dictionary
Find the perfect Oxford dictionary for you in our online shop.
SHOP NOW ►

Word of the day

logomachy

/ lōˈgäməkē /
noun
an argument about words …