Definition of 'wear'

Word Frequency

wear

(weəʳ )

Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense 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

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

Video: pronunciation of
wear

wear in British English 1

(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

to deteriorate or cause to deteriorate by constant use or action

to produce or be produced by constant rubbing, scraping, etc

to wear a hole in one's trousers

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. (when intr, 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. See wear ship

noun

13.

the act of wearing or state of being worn

14.

anything designed to be worn

leisure wear

(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

Word Frequency

wear in British English 2

(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

Word Frequency

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)

Word Frequency

Wear in American English

(wɪr )

river in Durham, N England, flowing northeast into the North Sea: 67 mi (108 km)

Word Frequency

wear in American English 1

(wɛr )

verb transitiveWord forms: wore, worn, ˈwearing

to have on the body or carry on the person (clothing, jewelry, a weapon, etc.)

to hold the position or rank symbolized by

to wear the heavyweight crown

to dress in (a specified kind of attire) so as to be in style

what college students are wearing this fall

to have or show in one's expression or appearance

to wear a smile, wearing an air of expectancy

to be fitted with or have on the person habitually

to wear dentures

to have or bear as a characteristic or attribute

to wear a beard, to wear one's hair long

to fly or show (its flag)

said of a ship

to impair, consume, or diminish as by constant use, handling, or friction

often with away

to bring by use to a specified state

to wear a coat to rags

to make, cause, or produce by the friction of rubbing, scraping, flowing, etc.

to wear a hole in the sole of one's shoe

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.

the gradual impairment, loss, or diminution from use, friction, etc.

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:

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

Word Frequency

wear in American English 2

(wɛr )

verb transitiveWord forms: wore, worn, ˈwearing

to turn or bring (a vessel) about by swinging its bow away from the wind; veer

verb intransitive

to turn or come about by having the bow swung away from the wind

noun

the act of wearing a ship

Word origin

? altered (infl. by wear1) < veer2

Word Frequency

wear in American English

(wɛər) (verb wore, worn, wearing)

transitive verb

to carry or have on the body or about the person as a covering, equipment, ornament, or the like

to wear a coat

to wear a saber

to wear a disguise

to have or use on the person habitually

to wear a wig

to bear or have in one's aspect or appearance

to wear a smile

to wear an air of triumph

to cause (garments, linens, etc.) to deteriorate or change by wear

Hard use has worn these gloves

to impair, deteriorate, or consume gradually by use or any continued process

Long illness had worn the bloom from her cheeks

to waste or diminish gradually by rubbing, scraping, washing, etc

The waves have worn these rocks

to make (a hole, channel, way, etc.) by such action

to bring about or cause a specified condition in (a person or thing) by use, deterioration, or gradual change

to wear clothes to rags

to wear a person to a shadow

to weary; fatigue; exhaust

Toil and care soon wear the spirit

10. (usually fol. by away or out)

to pass (time) gradually or tediously

We wore the afternoon away in arguing

11. Nautical

to bring (a vessel) on another tack by turning until the wind is on the stern

12. Brit dialect

to gather and herd ( sheep or cattle) to a pen or pasture

intransitive verb

13. (often fol. by away, down, out, or off)

to undergo gradual impairment, diminution, reduction, etc., from wear, use, attrition, or other causes

14.

to retain shape, color, usefulness, value, etc., under wear, use, or any continued strain

a strong material that will wear

colors that wear well

15. (of time) (often fol. by on or away)

to pass, esp. slowly or tediously

As the day wore on, we had less and less to talk about

16.

to have the quality of being easy or difficult to tolerate, esp. after a relatively long association

It's hard to get to know him, but he wears well

17. Nautical (of a vessel)

to come round on another tack by turning away from the wind

18. obsolete

to be commonly worn; to be in fashion

19. See wear down

20. See wear off

21. See wear out

22. See wear thin

noun

23.

the act of wearing; use, as of a garment

articles for winter wear

I've had a lot of wear out of this coat

24.

the state of being worn, as on the person

25. (often used in combination)

clothing or other articles for wearing, esp. when fashionable or appropriate for a particular function

travel wear

sportswear

26.

gradual impairment, wasting, diminution, etc., as from use

The carpet shows wear

27.

the quality of resisting deterioration with use; durability

Derived forms

wearer

noun

Word origin

[bef. 900; (v.) ME weren to have (clothes) on the body, waste, damage, suffer waste or damage, OE werian; c. ON verja, Goth wasjan to clothe; (n.) late ME were act of carrying on the body, deriv. of the v.; akin to L vestis clothing ( see vest)]

Word Frequency

wear in Mechanical Engineering

(wɛər)

noun

(Mechanical engineering: Materials)

Wear is a process in which material is gradually removed from one or more surfaces that are 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 that are in contact.

Examples of 'wear' in a sentence
wear

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

Does she get to wear a big white wedding dress?These are thick enough to wear well into autumn. Alpha women have long been wearing dresses to the office. One said we wore dressing gowns when taking a different path to the sheds.He wears far too much hairspray for my liking.The easiest way to wear it?They look really good with jeans, but you could wear them with something smarter. Remember when we all used to wear baggy, loose jeans and we thought that was really cool?But most important, by far, is the number of times consumers wear a garment before throwing it out.We had to wear normal clothes right the way through.