Wear — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈwer/

Meaning & Definition of Wear

Wear (verb)

  1. to bear or have on the person
  2. to use habitually for clothing, adornment, or assistance
  3. to carry on the person

Wear (noun)

  1. the act of wearing, the state of being worn, use
  2. clothing or an article of clothing usually of a particular kind; especially, clothing worn for a special occasion or popular during a specific period
  3. fashion, vogue

Wear (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to damage or diminish by continued friction

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

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

  2. to use up all the physical energy of

    "the job of running their own business wears them sometimes"

    similar: break, burn out, bust, do in, do up, drain, exhaust, fag, fatigue, frazzle, harass, kill, knock out, outwear, tire, tucker (out), wash out, wear out, weary, wear to a frazzle
    related: debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, sap, waste, weaken
    near: activate, energize, invigorate, rejuvenate, strengthen, vitalize, relax, rest, unwind

  3. to put up with (something painful or difficult)

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

    similar: abide, absorb, accept, bear, bide (chiefly dialect), brook, countenance, endure, go, hack, handle, meet, pocket, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, sweat out, take, tolerate, live with, lump (it), stand for, tough it out
    related: allow, permit, suffer, swallow, reconcile (to), acquiesce, agree (with or to), assent (to), capitulate, consent (to), respect, submit (to), yield (to)
    near: decline, dismiss, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, turn down, combat, contest, fight, oppose, resist, avoid, bypass, circumvent, dodge, elude, escape, evade, miss, abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from)

Wear (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the result of long and hard use

    "after several years, the carpet was finally showing wear"

    similar: wear and tear
    related: abrasion, corrosion, erosion, decomposition, deterioration, disintegration, fatigue
    near: fixing, mending, patching, rebuilding, reconditioning, reconstruction, renovation, repair, revamping

  2. covering for the human body

    "the latest in fashionable wear"

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

Related Entry: Wear and tear (noun)

Wear and tear is a different word from Wear. The synonyms below are for wear and tear, not for wear.

  1. the result of long and hard use

    "my favorite jeans finally succumbed to wear and tear and had to be replaced"

    similar: wear
    related: abrasion, corrosion, erosion, decomposition, deterioration, disintegration, fatigue
    near: fixing, mending, patching, rebuilding, reconditioning, reconstruction, renovation, repair, revamping

Related Entry: Wear out (verb)

Wear out is a different word from Wear. The synonyms below are for wear out, not for wear.

  1. to use up all the physical energy of

    "keeping up with twin toddlers wears me out"

    similar: break, burn out, bust, do in, do up, drain, exhaust, fag, fatigue, frazzle, harass, kill, knock out, outwear, tire, tucker (out), wash out, wear, weary, wear to a frazzle
    related: debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, sap, waste, weaken
    near: activate, energize, invigorate, rejuvenate, strengthen, vitalize, relax, rest, unwind

Related Entry: Wear on (phrase)

Wear on is a different word from Wear. The synonyms below are for wear on, not for wear.

  1. to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts

    "His constant complaining is starting to wear on his friends."

    similar: aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, eat, exasperate, frost, gall, get, grate, gripe, hack (off), irk, irritate, itch, nark (British), nettle, peeve, persecute, pique, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, spite, vex, get one's goat, get on one's nerves, get to, rub the wrong way, set one's teeth on edge, stick in one's craw
    related: hassle, heckle, nag, inflame, provoke, rouse, badger, bait, bullyrag, devil, hagride, harass, harry, pester, plague, tease, anger, antagonize, enrage, incense, infuriate, madden, rankle, roil, agitate, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, exercise, freak (out), fret, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, worry, affront, insult, miff, offend, outrage
    near: appease, conciliate, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, propitiate, delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy, assure, cheer, comfort, console, content, quiet, reassure, solace, soothe

Related Entry: Wear to a frazzle (phrase)

Wear to a frazzle is a different word from Wear. The synonyms below are for wear to a frazzle, not for wear.

  1. to use up all the physical energy of

    "Trying to meet all the deadlines had her worn to a frazzle ."

    similar: break, burn out, bust, do in, do up, drain, exhaust, fag, fatigue, frazzle, harass, kill, knock out, outwear, tire, tucker (out), wash out, wear, wear out, weary
    related: debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, sap, waste, weaken
    near: activate, energize, invigorate, rejuvenate, strengthen, vitalize, relax, rest, unwind

Related Entry: Wear (away) (verb)

Wear (away) is a different word from Wear. The synonyms below are for wear (away), not for wear.

  1. as in erode, wash out

    similar: erode, scour, wash out, deteriorate, enervate, enfeeble, undermine, weaken, blight, tarnish, blemish, bloody, break, compromise, crab, cripple, cross (up), damage, deface, disfigure, endamage, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, injure, mar, spoil, vitiate, dent, ding, dint, botch, gum (up), queer, lacerate, wound, disable, hamstring, lame, maim, mangle, mutilate, torment, torture, annihilate, bang up, bash, batter, clobber, crush, dash, decimate, demolish, desolate, destroy, devastate, do in, pulverize, raze, ruin, scourge, shatter, smash, tear down, total, waste, wipe out, wreck
    opposite: doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair, revamp, cure, heal, help, rectify, rehabilitate, remedy, edit, remodel, revise, ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refine

Related Entry: Wear down (verb)

Wear down is a different word from Wear. The synonyms below are for wear down, not for wear.

  1. as in break down, wear out

    similar: break down, grind (down), wear out, damage, harm, hurt, impair, injure, invalid, lay up, paralyze, deplete, depress, exhaust, impoverish, unman, wash out, cripple, disable, hamstring, incapacitate, debilitate, devitalize, enervate, enfeeble, etiolate, prostrate, sap, soften, tire, waste, weaken
    opposite: beef (up), fortify, strengthen, energize, invigorate, recruit, rejuvenate, vitalize, harden, season, toughen

Related Entry: Ready-to-wear (adjective)

Ready-to-wear is a different word from Wear. The synonyms below are for ready-to-wear, not for wear.

  1. as in off-the-rack, mass-produced

    similar: bought, mass-produced, off-the-peg (chiefly British), off-the-rack, off-the-shelf, ready-made, store, store-bought, prefab, prefabricated, commercial, hand-me-down
    opposite: bespoke, custom, customized, custom-made, tailored, tailor-made, handcrafted, handmade, homemade

Related Entry: Ready-to-wear (noun)

Ready-to-wear is a different word from Wear. The synonyms below are for ready-to-wear, not for wear.

  1. as in couture, tailoring

    similar: couture, prêt-à-porter, tailoring, civvies, mufti, activewear, loungewear, outerwear, playwear, sportswear, costume, ensemble, frock, garb, getup, guise, livery, outfit, nightclothes, sleepwear, smallclothes, underclothes, underwear, tatters, haberdashery, menswear, foofaraw, frippery, gaudery, tawdry, trumpery (archaic), array, bravery, caparison, finery, gaiety, glad rags, pretties, regalia, trim, garderobe, wardrobe

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Wear

The most common words with a similar meaning to Wear:

Chiefly dialect: bide
British slang: clobber
Archaic: habit
abrade, chafe, corrade, erode, fray, frazzle, fret, gall, rasp, rub, break, burn out, bust, do in, do up, drain, exhaust, fag, fatigue, harass, kill, knock out, outwear, tire, tucker (out), wash out, wear out, weary, abide, absorb, accept, bear, brook, countenance, endure, go, hack, handle, meet, pocket

Related Words for Wear

file, gnaw, grate, graze, grind, nibble, sandblast, sandpaper, scour, scrape, scuff, shave, erase, reduce, rub out, wipe (away), bite, break down, break up, chew, corrode, decompose, disintegrate, dissolve, eat, hone, sharpen, whet, debilitate, enervate

Near Antonyms of Wear

activate, energize, invigorate, rejuvenate, strengthen, vitalize, relax, rest, unwind, decline, dismiss, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, turn down, combat, contest, fight, oppose, resist, avoid, bypass, circumvent, dodge, elude, escape, evade, miss, abstain (from)

Word Forms of Wear

Inflections: wore, worn, wearing

Derived words: wearer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Wear

Middle English weren, from Old English werian; akin to Old Norse verja to clothe, invest, spend, Latin vestis clothing, garment, Greek hennynai to clothe

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Wear

Words & Phrases Containing Wear

wear and tear, wear down, wear on, wear out, wear the trousers

Frequently Asked Questions about Wear

What does "Wear" mean?

"Wear" means to bear or have on the person. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to bear or have on the person. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Wear"?

Other words for "Wear" include abrade, chafe, corrade, erode, fray, frazzle, fret and gall. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Wear" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Wear"?

There are 175 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Wear". Common alternatives include abrade, chafe, corrade, erode, fray, frazzle, fret, gall, rasp and rub.

How do you use "Wear" in a sentence?

Examples of "Wear" in a sentence: "all that walking every day wore the soles of my shoes very quickly"; "the job of running their own business wears them sometimes"; "her marriage is so bad—I don't know how she wears it".

Is "Wear" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Wear" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Wear" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Wear" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Wear"?

"Wear" is pronounced /ˈwer/.

What is the origin of the word "Wear"?

"Wear" comes from Middle English weren, from Old English werian; akin to Old Norse verja to clothe, invest, spend, Latin vestis clothing, garment, Greek hennynai to clothe. First known use: before 12th centuryt.