Synonyms of wear

wear 1 of 2

verb

ˈwer 

1

as in to erode

to damage or diminish by continued friction

all that walking every day wore the soles of my shoes very quickly

Synonyms & Similar Words

• erode
• fray
• rub
• reduce
• eat
• shave
• chafe
• bite
• abrade
• erase
• corrade
• fret
• sharpen
• gall
• scrape
• frazzle
• wear out
• chew
• gnaw
• file
• graze
• scour
• wipe (away)
• disintegrate
• rasp
• decompose
• scuff
• nibble
• corrode
• sandblast
• grate
• grind
• rub out
• sandpaper
• dissolve
• whet
• hone
• break down
• break up

2

as in to kill

to use up all the physical energy of

the job of running their own business wears them sometimes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• kill
• tire
• exhaust
• drain
• bust
• break
• weary
• wear out
• outwear
• harass
• waste
• fatigue
• knock out
• burn out
• wash out
• fag
• tucker (out)
• frazzle
• weaken
• wear to a frazzle
• do in
• do up
• debilitate
• enfeeble
• sap
• enervate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• activate
• strengthen
• energize
• rest
• relax
• rejuvenate
• unwind
• invigorate
• vitalize

3

as in to tolerate

British to put up with (something painful or difficult)

her marriage is so bad—I don't know how she wears it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tolerate
• endure
• stand
• accept
• handle
• take
• bear
• sustain
• absorb
• stomach
• meet
• abide
• swallow
• stick out
• stand for
• go
• countenance
• live with
• support
• lump (it)
• suffer
• hack
• sweat out
• brook
• bide
• pocket
• tough it out
• permit
• allow
• reconcile (to)
• submit (to)
• yield (to)
• agree (with or to)
• acquiesce
• respect
• consent (to)
• capitulate
• assent (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• refuse
• reject
• dismiss
• resist
• fight
• decline
• avoid
• oppose
• combat
• repudiate
• escape
• turn down
• miss
• contest
• spurn
• evade
• circumvent
• bypass
• refrain (from)
• elude
• dodge
• abstain (from)
• forbear

wear

2 of 2

noun

1

as in corrosion

the result of long and hard use

after several years, the carpet was finally showing wear

Synonyms & Similar Words

• corrosion
• fatigue
• wear and tear
• erosion
• abrasion
• deterioration
• decomposition
• disintegration

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• repair
• fixing
• reconstruction
• rebuilding
• renovation
• mending
• reconditioning
• patching
• revamping

2

as in clothes

covering for the human body

the latest in fashionable wear

Synonyms & Similar Words

• clothes
• clothing
• attire
• dress
• garments
• apparel
• costume
• gear
• garb
• rags
• vestments
• toggery
• raiment
• vesture
• threads
• weeds
• livery
• duds
• wearables
• clobber
• togs
• rigging
• rig
• costumery
• outfit
• habit
• wardrobe
• vestiary
• habiliment(s)
• underwear
• finery
• ensemble
• regalia
• guise
• couture
• trim
• tailoring
• frock
• pretties
• getup
• glad rags
• bravery
• civvies
• tatters
• sportswear
• underclothes
• outerwear
• garderobe
• frippery
• gaiety
• caparison
• mufti
• playwear
• foofaraw
• ready-to-wear
• tawdry
• trumpery
• sleepwear
• loungewear
• gaudery
• activewear
• array
• nightclothes
• menswear
• smallclothes
• haberdashery
• prêt-à-porter

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wear

Verb

Wilson mentioned Micah McFadden and rookie Arvell Reese as potential candidates to wear the green dot as the defensive play caller in Edmunds’ absence. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026

On Thursday at a hearing from the Osceola County Jail, Espinosa, wearing an orange jail outfit, was granted a $70,000 bond to secure her release. — Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Noun

This kind of cross-pollination—bondage wear combined with eighteenth-century pastoral—will surely inspire students at the neighboring London College of Fashion. — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Rioters last weekend smashed their way into stores, targeting sneakers, athletic wear and sporting goods on streets that run off the city’s central Duomo square. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Phrases Containing wear

• wear and tear
• wear on
• wear out
• wear to a frazzle