third-person singular verb
Someone or something pulls an object so hard that it separates or gets a hole in it.
/tʰɛɹz/Verb pronunciation
Thin paper tears easily when it is wet.
The old fabric tears if you pull it too hard.
American English
How to pronounce tears
verb · nounB1Common word
TEERZ
/tʰiɹz/
One syllable.
Form of tear
Tears can be a plural noun or the third-person singular form of the verb tear.
Someone or something pulls an object so hard that it separates or gets a hole in it.
What to listen for
“Tears” is /tʰiɹz/ when it means drops from the eyes or rips in material. As a verb meaning “rips,” as in “she tears the paper,” it is /tʰɛɹz/.
Plural noun pronunciation/tʰiɹz/
Verb pronunciation/tʰɛɹz/
Meanings & examples
plural noun
Tears are drops of liquid that come from the eyes when someone cries or when the eyes are irritated.
/tʰiɹz/Plural noun pronunciation
She wiped away her tears with a tissue.
Her tears of joy made everyone smile.
plural noun
Tears are holes or splits in cloth, paper, or another thin material, caused by pulling or damage.
/tʰiɹz/Plural noun pronunciation
There are tears in the curtains.
The tailor repaired the tears in my jeans.
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.