wear

verb

\ ˈwer

wore\ ˈwȯr

\; worn\ ˈwȯrn

\; wearing

Definition of wear

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to bear or have on the person wore a coat

2a : to use habitually for clothing, adornment, or assistance wears a size 10 wear glasses

b : to carry on the person wear a sword

3a : to hold the rank or dignity or position signified by (an ornament) wear the royal crown

b : exhibit, present wore a happy smile commend the book for wearing its research so lightly— Brad Leithauser

c : to show or fly (a flag or colors) on a ship

4a : to cause to deteriorate by use

b : to impair or diminish by use or attrition : consume or waste gradually letters on the stone worn away by weathering

5 : to produce gradually by friction or attrition wear a hole in the rug

6 : to exhaust or lessen the strength of : weary, fatigue

7 : to cause (a ship) to go about with the stern presented to the wind

8 British : to accept or tolerate without complaint : put up with —usually used in negative constructions your mates wouldn't wear it— Colin MacInnes

9 : take on sense 3a

intransitive verb

1a : to endure use : last under use or the passage of time material that will wear for years

b : to retain quality or vitality the classics wear well

2a : to diminish or decay through use the heels of his shoes began to wear

b : to diminish or fail with the passage of time the effect of the drug wore off the day wore on

c : to grow or become by attrition or use the blade wore dull

3 of a ship : to change to an opposite tack by turning the stern to the wind — compare tack

wear on

: irritate, fray the constant beeping wore on my nerves

wear the trousers or wear the pants

: to have the controlling authority in a household

wear thin

1 : to become weak or ready to give way my patience was wearing thin

2 : to become trite, unconvincing, or out-of-date an argument that quickly wore thin

wear

noun

Definition of wear (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : the act of wearing : the state of being worn : use clothes for everyday wear

2a : clothing or an article of clothing usually of a particular kind especially : clothing worn for a special occasion or popular during a specific period

b : fashion, vogue

3 : wearing quality : durability under use

4 : the result of wearing or use : diminution or impairment due to use wear-resistant surface

Wear

geographical name

\ ˈwir

Definition of Wear (Entry 3 of 3)

river 67 miles (108 kilometers) long in northern England flowing into the North Sea at Sunderland

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Examples of wear in a Sentence

Verb

He was wearing blue jeans. She wore a red blouse to work. White coats are often worn by doctors. He doesn't wear a watch. a badge worn by police officers Were you wearing a seat belt? She wears her hair in a ponytail. I used to wear my hair long. The teacher was wearing a frown. He wore a hole in his pants.

Noun

shoes that are perfect for everyday wear The deck is built to withstand years of wear. I got a lot of wear out of these boots. a new line of evening wear The carpet is showing signs of wear. You should inspect the tires for wear.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Selena Gomez made a rare red carpet appearance at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival wearing a Louis Vuitton silky bustier top and matching skirt with a leg slit. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Selena Gomez Stuns in a Silky Louis Vuitton Look on the Cannes Red Carpet," 14 May 2019 Governor Ralph Northam held a news conference February 2, 2019, to address the discovery of a photograph from his school yearbook page showing a a man wearing blackface next to another in a Ku Klux Klan robe. — Mark Hemingway, WSJ, "How Virginia’s Top Democrats Survived a Storm of Scandal," 10 May 2019 Markle also chose a similar look during the photo call for her engagement to Prince Harry in November 2017, wearing a white Line the Label trench coat. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "All the Hidden References You Missed in Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Royal Baby Photo Call," 8 May 2019 Kylie went for a Candy Land-meets-Marilyn Monroe type of vibe, wearing head-to-toe purple. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "Kendall and Kylie Jenner Wear Matching Feather Dresses on the 2019 Met Gala Red Carpet," 7 May 2019 The proprietary neuro-fabric Ma and her team created is embedded with tiny sensors; that fabric is sewn into socks worn by diabetes patients to monitor temperature and prevent diabetic foot ulcers or, worse, amputations. — Danielle Mcnally, Marie Claire, "Cartier’s Women’s Initiative Award Winners Prove Women Will Change the World," 5 May 2019 Brandon showed up to support his wife wearing a simple navy suit jacket and black pants. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "Kelly Clarkson and Her Husband Made a Rare Red Carpet Appearance With All of Their Kids," 29 Apr. 2019 On March 9, 1959, Barbara Millicent Roberts entered the world wearing a black-and-white swimsuit. — Brennan Kilbane, Allure, "Barbie's 60th Birthday Wish Was to Be More Inclusive. Now What?," 2 May 2019 Notably, the next time Kate appears at a formal event, her new honor will visibly apparent, as those in the RVO wear a blue sash in recognition of their appointment. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Queen Elizabeth Appoints Kate Middleton a Dame Grand Cross in the Royal Victorian Order," 29 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Wipe pearls with a soft cloth after each wear to remove body oils and perfume that can yellow them. — Lauren Smith, Good Housekeeping, "How to Clean Your Jewelry Like a Pro," 7 May 2019 Today, the new pair headed out for a day of errands together in casual wear. — Vogue, "Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx Raise the Bar on Off-Duty Couple Style," 16 Apr. 2019 The Best Everyday Underwear Perhaps surprisingly, given cotton’s bad rap in performance wear, Kari Traa’s Attraktiv Hipster, a 95 percent cotton, 5 percent elastane blend, was a close second favorite. — Kassondra Cloos, Outside Online, "The Best Women’s Active Outdoor Underwear," 6 July 2018 With that in mind, Glover’s three sneaker styles—the Nizza, the Continental 80, and the Lacombe—are made of unbleached white canvas, with the intention of showing their wear. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "Surprise! Donald Glover Drops an Adidas Originals Collection of Canvas Sneakers," 18 Apr. 2019 And while their prices are so on point—their dresses will typically run you about $49.90—constantly updating your wardrobe with their wears is about as sustainable as their fabrics (not very). — Samantha Leac, Glamour, "Here’s What $10,000 Actually Looks Like," 9 Apr. 2019 The swimwear is made in Italy and its resort wear is crafted from 100 percent silk and natural fibers. — Marina Liao, Marie Claire, "The Best New Swimwear of Summer 2019," 21 Mar. 2019 That’s the standard set by the American National Standards Institute, the industry organization that, among other things, sets the bar for safety gear, ensuring that protective eye wear is just that—protective. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "Another Reason Why You Should Always Wear Safety Glasses," 13 Mar. 2019 After all, some guests like their dark clothes separated from lights; some want their hanging wears to be arranged by length; some want to have their cosmetics arranged by height. — Jessica Flint, WSJ, "The Seattle Hotel Playbook," 3 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wear.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near wear

weaponshawing

weaponsmith

weapons of mass destruction

Statistics for wear

Last Updated

20 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for wear

The first known use of wear was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for wear

wear

verb

English Language Learners Definition of wear

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to use or have (something) as clothing : to have (a shirt, pants, etc.) over part of your body

: to use or have (something) on your body

: to grow or arrange (your hair) in a particular way

wear

noun

English Language Learners Definition of wear (Entry 2 of 2)

: the act of using something as clothing : the act of wearing something

: the act of using something

: clothing that is designed for a specified kind of person, occasion, or use

See the full definition for wear in the English Language Learners Dictionary

wear

verb

\ ˈwer

wore\ ˈwȯr \; worn\ ˈwȯrn \; wearing

Kids Definition of wear

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to use as an article of clothing or decoration He's wearing boots. She wears a ribbon in her hair.

2 : to carry or use on the body I am wearing perfume.

3 : show entry 1 sense 1 He always wears a smile.

4 : to damage, waste, or produce by continued use … I had gone … by a different way so as not to wear a trail.— Scott O'Dell, Island of the Blue Dolphins

5 : to make tired

6 : to last through long use The cloth wears well.

7 : to lessen or end with the passing of time The day wore on.

wear out

1 : to make useless by long or hard use

2 : tire entry 1 sense 1