ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tearing

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈtɛɹɪŋ// UK //tˈeəɹɪŋ// tear·ing Informal

adj. describing a sharp, strong pain that feels like something is being pulled apart. You use this to tell a doctor exactly how a bad injury or headache feels.

adj. characterised by a sharp, intense sensation of being ripped or pulled apart. Often used in clinical contexts to describe specific types of acute pain, such as that from a muscle rupture or a severe headache.


SIMPLE

He felt a sharp, tearing pain in his leg during the race.

CONTEXTUAL

The patient described a sudden, tearing sensation in his chest, which led the doctors to suspect a serious heart issue.

COMPLEX

While dull aches are common after exercise, a sharp, tearing sensation usually indicates a structural injury to the muscle fibers or connective tissue that requires immediate medical attention.

Synonyms
Usage

Typically modifies nouns related to physical sensation, such as 'pain', 'feeling', or 'sensation'.

Pitfall

He was tearing the paper in pieces.He was tearing the paper into pieces.When something is separated into multiple parts, the preposition 'into' is used rather than 'in'.

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