wear
gb/wˈɛɹ/ us/wˈɛɹ/
A1
English
~ 800
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A1
action
1
have clothes on your body
To have clothes or other things like shoes or jewelry on your body.
Usage pattern:
to wear [clothing/item]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'wear' with 'put on'. 'Wear' means to have something on your body; 'put on' means the action of starting to wear it.
Synonyms
dress in (Implies putting on specific clothing, often for an occasion.)
Antonyms
remove (Means to take clothing or accessories off the body.)
Collocations
wear a dress
|wear glasses
|wear a suit
|wear makeup
|wear shoes
Themes
daily life
|fashion
|daily_life
|clothing
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She likes to wear bright colors in the summer.
- He always wears a tie to work.
- I wear glasses when I read.
- They wore matching T-shirts for the event.
- You should wear comfortable shoes for the hike.
Learner examples
- I wear a hat.
- She wears a red coat.
- He wears glasses every day.
- We wear shoes in the house.
Verb
B1
action
2
become damaged from use
To slowly get damaged or thin because of use or time.
Usage pattern:
[material/item] wears [away/down/out]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'tear'. 'Wear' is slow damage over time; 'tear' is sudden damage.
Synonyms
erode (Often used for natural processes like wind or water wearing something away.)
Antonyms
renew (Means to restore something to its original condition.)
Collocations
wear away
|wear down
|wear out
|wear thin
Themes
daily life
|materials
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The soles of my shoes are starting to wear out.
- Over the years, the paint has worn away from the door.
- Friction will wear down the metal edges.
- His patience began to wear thin after hours of waiting.
- The carpet has worn in the middle from heavy traffic.
Learner examples
- My shoes wear out quickly.
- The paint wears away in the rain.
- His coat wears thin after many years.
- The road wears down from many cars.
Noun
B1
entity
3
damage from use over time
Small damage that happens over time when something is used a lot.
Synonyms
abrasion (A more technical term for surface wear or scraping.)
Antonyms
restoration (The act of returning something to its original condition.)
Collocations
signs of wear
|normal wear and tear
|show wear
Themes
daily life
|materials
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The tires show signs of wear and need replacing.
- Normal wear and tear is expected in a rental property.
- This jacket has little wear despite being old.
- The machine works fine but has some cosmetic wear.
Learner examples
- My shoes have a lot of wear.
- The sofa shows some wear.
- There is normal wear on the car seats.
Grammar
Dictionary form
wear
IPA
GB/wˈɛɹ/
US/wˈɛɹ/
Syllables & stress
wear (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (wear)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: wear
- Plural: wear
Verb
- Base: wear
- 3rd Person Singular: wears
- Present Participle: wearing
- Past: wore
- Past Participle: worn
Word family
Forms
wears
verb
wearing
verb
wore
verb
worn
verb
Core family
wearable
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unwearable
adjective
Advanced or less common
wearability
noun
Highlights
- Irregular past: wore Verb
- Irregular past participle: worn Verb
Expressions
wear and tear
4/wˈɛɹ ˈænd tˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
gradual damage from normal use
Small damage that happens naturally when something is used normally over time.
Examples
- The landlord is responsible for normal wear and tear repairs.
- This sofa has some wear and tear but is still comfortable.
wear down
3/wˈɛɹ dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
reduce strength over time
To slowly make someone weaker or less determined, or to make something thinner or smoother by using it.
Examples
- The constant questioning wore him down until he agreed.
- Walking on the path has worn down the stones.
wear off
2/wˈɛɹ ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
gradually lose effect/disappear
To slowly stop having an effect or feeling.
Examples
- The pain will wear off in a few hours.
- The excitement of the trip soon wore off.
wear out
1/wˈɛɹ ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
make unusable by use
To use something so much that it is no longer good or works well.
Examples
- I've worn out my favorite sneakers from running every day.
- Continuous washing will wear out the fabric quickly.
wear thin
5/wˈɛɹ θˈɪn/
idiom
become less effective/acceptable
To become less effective, less believable, or less tolerable over time.
Examples
- Her excuses are starting to wear thin.
- My patience is wearing thin with your excuses.
- My patience is wearing thin with this delay.
- The joke started to wear thin after he told it for the fifth time.