gerund / present participle
Pulling something apart or making a hole in it.
/ˈtʰɛɹ.ɪŋ/Pronunciation by meaning or form
He is tearing the cardboard into pieces.
Be careful when tearing this paper.
American English
How to pronounce tearing
verbB1Common word
TʰAIRihng
/ˈtʰɛɹ.ɪŋ/
2 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of tear
Pulling something apart or making a hole in it.
What to listen for
Ripping has the vowel in air. Producing tears has the vowel in ear.
Pronunciation by meaning or form/ˈtʰɛɹ.ɪŋ/
Pronunciation by meaning or form/ˈtʰi.ɹɪŋ/
Meanings & examples
gerund / present participle
Starting to cry or getting tears in your eyes, usually because of strong emotion.
/ˈtʰi.ɹɪŋ/Pronunciation by meaning or form
I was tearing up during the final scene.
She started tearing up when she read the letter.
Useful expressions
To start crying or get tears in your eyes.
I teared up at the end of the movie.
Crying because of strong emotion, sadness, or pain.
He was in tears after the argument.
To destroy something by pulling it into pieces.
The dog tore the toy apart.
Related words & forms
To mean “rip,” use tore and torn: I tore it; I have torn it. But tear up meaning “start crying” usually has teared up: I teared up.