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2 : to become trite, unconvincing, or out-of-date an argument that quickly wore thin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

An otherwise casual person who wears scrubs to work, Nate looked smoking hot in a suit, complimented my outfit, was gracious to the newlyweds and their family, fetched drinks for my friends, and even spun a grandma around the dance floor. 2. — Anne Roderique-jones, SELF, "15 Lessons I’ve Learned in 15 Years of Marriage," 8 Jan. 2019 From the women of the suffrage movement to Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress in 1968 who also wore white to her ceremony, AOC’s historic references run deep. — Roberta Gorin-paracka, Teen Vogue, "Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Explains Why She Wore Red Lipstick and Gold Hoop Earrings to Swearing-In Ceremony," 5 Jan. 2019 Priests would then wear these skins in the hopes of ensuring regeneration across society, from crops to fertility. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Archaeologists Discover Temple to Aztec 'Flayed Lord'," 4 Jan. 2019 Plus, my knowledge of the game extended only so far as Mario is a guy who wears overalls and a red hat. — The Editors, Marie Claire, "Marie Claire Editors Tell You Their Favorite Things You Probably Missed in 2018," 31 Dec. 2018 For her second wedding, the bride wore a lace dress by Ines Di Santo. — Alyssa Fiorentino, House Beautiful, "Christina El Moussa Married Ant Anstead In A Secret "Winter Wonderland" Wedding," 23 Dec. 2018 In March 2017, for example, United Airlines made headlines—and received backlash—for turning away two teenage girls who were wearing leggings. — Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "Rules For Flying to Follow So You Don't Get Kicked Off Your Flight," 19 Dec. 2018 For those who wear headphones while recording, latency is kept to a minimum as well. — Jeff Dunn, Ars Technica, "The Ars Holiday Gift Guide 2018—good tech for the home and home office," 19 Nov. 2018 Many elderly Jews here still wear a piece of black cloth at the hem of their trousers, a sign of mourning for the ancient temple’s destruction. — Leslie Camhi, ELLE Decor, "Inside the World's Most Beautiful Synagogues," 5 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

If quality serves as the line’s guiding principle, then ease of wear is a close second. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Serena Williams Brings Affordable Luxury to All Sizes With the Great Collection," 8 Dec. 2018 But perhaps the biggest issue in safari wear is color. — Klara Glowczewska, Town & Country, "Melania Trump Gave Us All a Valuable Lesson in How Not to Dress in Africa," 9 Oct. 2018 Season two premiered a couple weeks ago and introduced us to a whole new world of ’50s fashion: summer resort wear. — Madeline Fass, Vogue, "Let The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 2 Inspire Your Holiday Vacation Style," 21 Dec. 2018 The real question still plaguing us: what does one wear to an intimate Beyoncé performance? — Carrie Goldberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "This Star-Studded Indian Wedding Is an Even Bigger Event Than Priyanka & Nick's Nuptials," 11 Dec. 2018 Deep grooves worn into his teeth suggest the nature of that work: that kind of wear often comes from passing or holding a rope between one’s teeth, as a medieval fisherman or sailor might have done. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Medieval skeleton’s boots reveal harsh realities of life on the Thames," 6 Dec. 2018 Ever since that oversized blanket went viral, similarly warm woolen wear has popped up on Pinterest and Etsy, including scarves, Christmas decor, and more. — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "This Chunky Knit Pumpkin Hat Will Be the Coziest Thing You Wear All Fall," 1 Oct. 2018 The half-hour gap was originally put in place so students would have extra time to change into evening wear, said Lund University archivist Fredrik Tersmeden. — Melissa Korn, WSJ, "What Time Is It at Berkeley? Ten Minutes Past Reality," 3 Dec. 2018 These newer sequins are lighter and cheaper, useful for evening wear or every day. — Jamie Lauren Keiles, Vox, "Flip sequins are the weird, glitzy fabric that kids can’t get enough of," 27 Nov. 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

14 Jan 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