wear

wear

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Pronunciation

IPA Phonetic Spelling:

• /wɛər/ (General American) or /wɛə/ (Received Pronunciation)

• w - /w/ (as in "we")

• ear - /ɛər/ (as in "fair" or "care" - General American) or /ɛə/ (as in "fair" or "care" - Received Pronunciation)

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Word Form Variations

• Verb:

• Base form: wear

• Third person singular present: wears

• Present participle: wearing

• Past tense: wore

• Past participle: worn

• Noun:

• Singular: wear

• Plural: wears (less common, usually in specific contexts like "the wears and tears")

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Verb

1. To have (clothing, jewelry, or accessories) on one's body as garments or adornment.

• Synonyms: put on, don, sport, dress in, clad oneself in

• Antonyms: remove, take off, undress, doff

2. To deteriorate or be damaged gradually by friction, use, or age.

• Synonyms: erode, abrade, fray, degrade, corrode, consume, deplete

• Antonyms: restore, repair, strengthen, preserve, build up

3. To endure or tolerate a difficult or tedious situation; to withstand the effects of something over time. (Often in phrases like "wear well" or "wear down")

• Synonyms: endure, tolerate, bear, last, persist, hold up

• Antonyms: succumb, break down, fail, collapse

4. To exhibit a particular expression, appearance, or quality.

• Synonyms: display, show, present, carry, sport, assume

• Antonyms: conceal, hide, mask, suppress

Noun

1. Damage, deterioration, or attrition resulting from ordinary use or friction over time.

• Synonyms: damage, deterioration, abrasion, erosion, fatigue, attrition

• Antonyms: repair, restoration, pristine condition, newness

2. Clothing or items designed to be worn. (Often in compound nouns like "footwear," "activewear," or in phrases like "ready-to-wear")

• Synonyms: attire, apparel, clothing, garments, outfits

• Antonyms: (None directly applicable as it refers to a category of items)

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Examples of Use

• Books:

• "He wore his new suit, feeling uncomfortable and overdressed for the casual gathering." (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, 1925)

• Newspapers:

• "The prolonged drought is causing significant wear and tear on agricultural machinery, leading to increased repair costs for farmers." (The Standard)

• Online Publications:

• "Experts advise against wearing tight-fitting shoes for extended periods to prevent foot problems." (WebMD)

• Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:

• "I love to wear bright colors, it just makes me feel happy!" (Fashion vlogger on YouTube, "Style & Smiles,")

• "Even after all these years, that old leather jacket still wears well." (Dialogue in a classic film, Casablanca, 1942)

• "This new song is really starting to wear on me; it's so repetitive." (Music fan's comment on a streaming platform)

• General Public Discourse:

• "What should I wear to the party tonight?"

• "You can tell this old book has seen a lot of wear."

• "The constant arguments are really starting to wear him down."

• "She always wears a smile, no matter what."

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10 Quotes Using Wear

1. "It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe." (Muhammad Ali)

2. "From quiet homes and first beginning, out to the undiscovered ends, there's nothing worth the wear of winning, but laughter and the love of friends." (Hilaire Belloc)

3. "Real heroes don't wear capes." (Dean Cain)

4. "What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today when human contacts go so fast. Fashion is instant language." (Miuccia Prada)

5. "Every human walks around with a certain kind of sadness. They may not wear it on their sleeves, but it's there if you look deep." (Taraji P. Henson)

6. "Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles." (George Eliot)

7. "I wear my heart on my sleeve." (Princess Diana)

8. "We forge the chains we wear in life." (Charles Dickens)

9. "To wear your heart on your sleeve isn't a very good plan; you should wear it inside, where it functions best." (Margaret Thatcher)

10. "Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple." (Regina Brett)

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Etymology

The word "wear" has a rich history with two main, related origins in Old English, both dealing with covering or protecting, but evolving into distinct meanings.

The primary sense of "wear" (as in wearing clothes) comes from the Old English verb "werian." This "werian" already meant "to clothe, to cover over, or to put on." This root can be traced back to *Proto-Germanic "wazjaną" meaning "to clothe," and even further back to the *Proto-Indo-European root "wes-" meaning "to dress" or "to put on (clothes)." This is the direct ancestor of words like Latin "vestis" (garment) and English "vest." So, the idea of having something on your body as clothing or covering is very ancient in this lineage.

The second important, though perhaps less obvious, origin for some of the meanings of "wear" (like "wear and tear") also comes from a separate Old English verb "werian" (yes, spelled the same!), but this one meant "to guard, to protect, or to defend." This "werian" came from a different *Proto-Germanic root "warjaną" meaning "to defend" or "to ward off," which is also related to words like "ward." While this root directly gives us words like "ward off," it also contributed to the idea of something being "worn down" from resisting something, like a defense being worn away.

So, the first known uses of "wear" in English (in its Old English forms) were likely around the 9th or 10th century, carrying these dual meanings:

1. To put on or have clothing/covering on one's body.

2. To guard or protect, which over time evolved into the sense of gradual deterioration due to use or resistance.

The verb "wear" also uniquely shifted from a "weak" verb (which would have past tenses like "wered") to a "strong" verb (with past tense "wore" and past participle "worn") in the Middle English period, influenced by other strong verbs like "bear" and "tear."

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Wear

Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "wear":

• Wear and tear (damage from normal use)

• Wear out (to make or become unusable from use; to exhaust)

• Wear thin (to become less effective or tolerable)

• Wear off (to diminish gradually, often of an effect)

• Wear down (to make weaker or less resilient, often through persistence)

• Wear the pants (to be the dominant person in a relationship or household)

• Wear your heart on your sleeve (to show one's emotions openly)

• Wear many hats (to have many roles or responsibilities)

• Wear a path (to create a path by repeated use)

• Wear a brave face (to appear brave despite fear)

• Wear the colors (to support a team or group by wearing their specific attire)

• Wear through (to make a hole in something by continuous friction)

• Wear the crown (to hold a position of power or authority, similar to "hold the reins")

• Wear your welcome out (to stay so long that one becomes tiresome)

• No worse for wear (not significantly damaged or tired despite an experience)

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of wear from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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