# rend one's garments

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/rend-ones-garments
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To fret or moan in an excessive or theatrical manner.

## Examples

- Stop rending your garments over such a small mistake.
- Whenever the team loses a game, the fans start rending their garments as if the world is ending.
- Instead of seeking a practical solution to the crisis, the politicians preferred to rend their garments in public for the sake of appearances.

## Origin

From the Jewish practice of keriah, a tradition of mourning that involves the ritual tearing of one's clothes. The expression draws directly from the biblical custom of manifesting internal grief through the visible destruction of one's attire.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.