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2 : to become trite, unconvincing, or out-of-date an argument that quickly wore thin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

Other Words from wear Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about wear

Keep scrolling for more

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

Prepare to never wear anything but activewear and sneakers again, because Beyoncé is joining forces with Adidas. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "Beyoncé and Adidas Announce New Partnership and the Relaunch of Ivy Park," 4 Apr. 2019 Venus doesn't have the best time in Aries, because while romantic Venus wants to wear an extravagant outfit, Aries would rather just pick up clothes off the floor and call it a look. — Randon Rosenbohm, Allure, "What Your Sign's April Horoscope Predictions Mean for You," 31 Mar. 2019 For her part, Meghan arrived wearing an Amanda Wakely cream coat over what appeared to be a metallic brocade dress. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Meghan Markle Wears a Brocade Dress to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Prince Charles' Investiture," 5 Mar. 2019 People with penises can also wear strap-ons to engage in double penetration. — Sophie Saint Thomas, SELF, "9 Things to Know Before You Try Strap-On Sex," 2 Mar. 2019 Strike the #BalanceForBetter pose while wearing the color that stands for justice and dignity, and share it on social media using the hashtag #IWD2019. — Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, "Why International Women's Day Is Celebrated on March 8," 28 Feb. 2019 Soon parts became replaceable and engineers limited movements so certain actions only wore on replaceable joints. — Matt Blitz, Popular Mechanics, "The A1000 Is Disney's Advanced Animatronic Bringing the Galaxy's Edge Star Wars Theme Park To Life," 28 Feb. 2019 No impoverished screen woman ever had such inexplicable luxury or wore clothes and light to glorify her cynicism. — John Banville, WSJ, "‘Sleeping With Strangers’ Review: Flickers of Desire," 22 Feb. 2019 The thousands of protesters, many wearing white teachers’ robes, came from across Morocco to Rabat to seek salary raises and promotions and protest the limited opportunities for low-ranking teachers, who earn an average of 400 euros ($454) a month. — Amira El Masaiti, The Seattle Times, "Morocco: Arab Spring anniversary brings reflection, beatings," 20 Feb. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Emily draws on personal narratives to create modern work-wear silhouettes, incorporating female-centric traditions of quilting, mending, and applique into each of her collections. — Scarlett Newman, Teen Vogue, "This Year’s LVMH Prize Finalists Focus In On Sustainability In Fashion," 27 Mar. 2019 And with similarly matching outfits by peppy labels like Standard Issue and John Elliott also making successful bids for everyday-wear status,... — Jacob Gallagher, WSJ, "Is It Ever OK to Wear a Sweatsuit Out in the World?," 27 Feb. 2019 High engine temperatures combine with moisture, combustion byproducts (including unburned gasoline), rust, corrosion, engine-wear particles, and oxygen to produce sludge and varnish. — Paul Weissler, Popular Mechanics, "How to Pick the Right Motor Oil for Your Car," 14 Feb. 2019 Pippa attended the service in a burgundy coat with a fur collar by French Connection, which (like her royal sister often does) was a re-wear from the same service in 2015. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Pippa Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Their Husbands Attended a Carol Service for Harry's Late Friend," 5 Dec. 2018 Despite some Internet fans calling it royal re-wear, Meghan did not pull from her own closet for Saturday’s event in honor of Queen Elizabeth’s 92 birthday. — Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE.com, "The Great Hat Debate: Was Meghan Markle's Trooping the Colour Topper a Royal Re-Wear?," 11 June 2018 Wolf Buy Now Gap seersucker wader pants Buy Now Hamilton Intra-matic watch A wear-with-everything watch that's guaranteed not to go out of style in a year or 20 years. — The Editors Of Gq, GQ, "The 16 Best New Menswear Items to Buy This Week," 4 May 2018 Within three years of launching her personal street-wear line, Julie Kucharski found her designs on two of Hollywood’s most revered cultural icons: Beyoncé and Rihanna. — Andrea Alonso, Los Angeles Magazine, "Beyoncé and Rihanna Have Rocked This Local Streetwear Brand (and So Can You)," 16 Apr. 2018 Ansari said Artizara distinguishes itself from other modest-wear fashion companies because it is centered around the beauty of Islamic art, not the Islamic religion. — Pam Kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Fashion company makes modesty a mission," 22 Mar. 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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about wear

Dictionary Entries near wear

weaponshawing

weaponsmith

weapons of mass destruction

Statistics for wear

Last Updated

8 Apr 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for wear

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

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

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