# tear

/ˈtɛɹ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/tear
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. from the eye

noun · CEFR A2

a drop of salty liquid that comes from your eye when you cry or feel pain.

For teachers: a drop of clear, saline liquid secreted by the lacrimal glands in response to emotion or irritation.

- A single tear ran down her cheek as she said goodbye to her friend.
- The actor's ability to produce a tear on command during the final scene left the audience in stunned silence.

### 2. a hole

noun · CEFR B1

a hole or split in something like paper, cloth, or skin.

For teachers: a hole or opening produced by pulling a material apart with force.

- He noticed a small tear in his jacket after walking through the bushes.
- The restorer carefully examined the tear in the canvas, determining that the structural integrity of the painting remained intact.

### 3. to pull apart

verb · CEFR B1

to pull something apart into pieces using force.

For teachers: to pull a material apart by force; transitive when an object is being destroyed and intransitive when the material fails.

- Be careful not to tear the wrapping paper while you open the gift.
- The high winds threatened to tear the sails, forcing the crew to lower them before the storm reached its peak.

### 4. to move fast

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to move very quickly or with a lot of energy.

For teachers: to move or act with great speed or violence. Often used with a directional preposition.

- The kids were tearing around the garden all afternoon.
- The car went tearing down the narrow street, narrowly missing the parked vehicles on the corner.

### 5. a rampage

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · American English

a period of time where someone does something with a lot of energy or success.

For teachers: a period of intense activity or a streak of success, often used in sports or business contexts.

- The team has been on a tear lately, winning their last five games.
- After the new CEO took over, the company went on a tear, acquiring three smaller competitors in less than six months.

### 6. computing

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a visual error on a screen where the top and bottom of a picture do not match.

For teachers: a visual artifact in video display where information from two or more frames is shown in a single screen draw.

- I enabled vertical sync to stop the screen tear during the game.
- The reviewer noted significant horizontal tear during high-motion sequences, suggesting the graphics driver required further optimisation.

## Examples

- A single tear ran down her cheek as she said goodbye.
- The strong smell of the chopped onions brought a tear to his eye before he could finish the meal.
- While emotional tears are unique to humans, the physiological function of basal tears is to keep the cornea lubricated and protected from environmental debris.

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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.