wear and tear
/ˌwɛəɹ‿ən ˈtɛə//ˌwɛɹ‿ən ˈtɛ(ə)ɹ/
wear and tear noun: physical damage caused to an object due to ordinary use over time; specifically (accounting, law), as justifying a write-down of the object's value in a set of accounts, or exclusion of compensation for the object under a warranty of quality.
Noun
wear and tear (uncountable)
- Physical damage caused to an object due to ordinary use over time; specifically (accounting, law), as justifying a write-down of the object's value in a set of accounts, or exclusion of compensation for the object under a warranty of quality.
- The washing machine flooded the basement due to wear and tear, so Margaret was not eligible to claim compensation from the manufacturer.
- But in the day-time, when the lattice=blinds (now closely shut) were opened, and the light let in, traces were discernible among this finery, of wear and tear and dust, of sun and damp and smoke, and lengthened intervals of want of use and habitation, when such shows and toys of life seem sensitive...1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, “The Fugitives”, in Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 537
- Synonyms:
- tear and wear
- The process by which such physical damage is caused.
- The structural integrity of the bridge has been compromised by constant wear and tear.
- The cost payable for such physical damage.
- Firſt, in caſe God ſhall be pleaſed to deliuer the Iland and Caſtle of Ormuz, into the hands of the Perſian by our aide, the moitie of the ſpoile and purchaſe of both to remaine to the Engliſh, the other moitie to the Perſian. […] Fiftly, The Perſian to bee at halfe the ſhips charge for victuall...1625, [Samuel] Purchas, “Relation of Ormuz, and of the Late Taking thereof by the English and Persians”, in Purchas His Pilgrimes. […], 2nd part, London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone...
- Upon tvvo hundred tons of goods, therefore, carried by the cheapeſt land-carriage from London to Edinburgh, there muſt be charged the maintenance of a hundred men for three vveeks, and both the maintenance, and, vvhat is nearly equal to the maintenance, the vvear and tear of four hundred horſes as...1776 March 9, Adam Smith, “That the Division of Labour is Limited by the Extent of the Market”, in An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. […], volume I, London: […] W[illiam]...
- Damage or deterioration caused to something intangible due to harsh conditions, the passing of time, etc.; also, the process by which such damage or deterioration is caused.
- It vvas th' Inchantment of her Riches, / That made m' apply t' your Croney VVitches, / That in return, vvould pay th' expence, / The VVear-and-tear of Conſcience.1677 (indicated as 1678), [Samuel Butler], “Canto I”, in Hudibras. The Third and Last Part. […], London: […] Simon Miller, […], →OCLC, page 68
- [H]e had been driven to commit suicide. Unequal to the wear and tear of daily life, as he had often professed himself to be, and shaken as he no doubt was by the uncertainty and deferred hope he had undergone, it seemed no violently strained misgiving, but only too probable.1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, “Strange News of Uncle Sol”, in Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 253
- One's ability to endure harsh conditions; resilience, toughness.
- Mr. Thomas Bewick the celebrated wood-engraver, died on Saturday last, at the age of 74; though at so advanced an age, he seemed, from his being strongly built, to have many years' wear and tear in him.1828 November 15, “Biography”, in The London Literary Gazette; and Journal of the Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences, &c., number 617, London: W. A. Scripps, of the Literary Gazette office, […], →OCLC...
Verb
wear and tear (third-person singular simple present wears and tears, present participle wearing and tearing, simple past wore and tore, past participle worn and torn)
- To cause (something) physical damage due to ordinary use over time; to wear (down).
- […] Solomon Skinflint, […] ſeeing a large Sheet of Paper that vvould hold three or four Pair of Hoſe, going to be vvaſted, called out, […] This gives us a freſh Opportunity of ſhevving the good Nature of this injured Gentleman; vvho […] ſaved the Paper; vvhoſe Deſtiny vvas not to be burnt, but...[1757?], G[eorge] S[mith] Green, “Mr. Van Turns Tradesman again; and Setles at Gotham: Is Assailed by the Law: Finds Friends—but Very False Ones: Becomes a Tool of a Party”, in The Life of Mr. John...
- To cause emotional damage to (someone's feelings, spirit, etc.).
- Murmuring vexes the heart, it vvears and tears the heart, it inrages and inflames the heart, it vvounds and ſtabs the heart; […]1669, Thomas Brooks, The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod: With Soveraign Antidotes against the Most Miserable Exigents: […], London: […] John Hancock, […], →OCLC, page 168
- The chafing and firing of that girl, the wearing and tearing of that girl within her own breast, has been such that I have softly said to her again and again in passing her, 'Five-and-twenty, Tattycoram, five-and-twenty!' I heartily wish she could have gone on counting five-and-twenty day and...[1855 December – 1857 June, Charles Dickens, “Five-and-twenty”, in Little Dorrit, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1857, →OCLC, 1st book (Poverty), page 237
- Of a thing: to be caused physical damage due to ordinary use over time.
- The wives toiled over the rough work clothing: long john underwear, heavy socks, rubber boots, thick flannel shirts, oilskins—it all wore and tore and sprung holes from the hard use of battling storm and bad weather.1962, Curtis Bok, Maria: a Tale of the Northeast Coast and of the North Atlantic (A Borzoi Book), New York, N.Y.: Alfred A[braham] Knopf, →OCLC, page 127
- A body moving with misalignment is like trying to put a square peg through movement's circle hole. The pieces do not fit nor work well together; jamming, wearing and tearing each time you move from daily tasks to fitness and sport.2016 March, Jason Kelly, “Why We Need to Function”, in The Balanced Body: Move Well—Train Better—Avoid Injury, [Scotts Valley, Calif.]: [CreateSpace], →ISBN, page 19
wear and tear meaning in Tamil, Urdu, Telugu and Persian
wear and tear in Tamil
- தேய்மானம், தேய்மான சேதாரம், தேய்வும் தொய்வும், தேய்வும் நைவும, தேய்வும் நைவும்
wear and tear in Urdu
- فرسودگی, توڑ پھوڑ
wear and tear in Telugu
- physical damage caused to an object due to ordinary use over time; process by which such physical damage is caused
- అరుగుదల arugudala
wear and tear in Persian
- physical damage caused to an object due to ordinary use over time; process by which such physical damage is caused
- استهلاک estehlâk
Synonyms of wear and tear
Forms of wear and tear
| third-person singular present | wears and tears |
|---|---|
| present participle | wearing and tearing |
| past | wore and tore |
| past participle | worn and torn |
Origin of wear and tear
The noun is derived from wear (“damage caused by use over time”, noun) + and + tear (“damage caused by tearing”, noun). The verb is derived from wear (“to cause gradual deterioration in”, verb) + and + tear (“to rend by pulling apart”, verb), modelled on the noun.
Words formed from wear and tear
- wear and tear pigment
Words that rhyme with wear and tear
48 more rhymesFewer rhymes
- declare
- hair
- Sinclair
- where
- ayr
- care
- layer
- mayor
- parterre
- fare
- glare
- lair
- pear
- prayer
- snare
- compare
- dare
- rare
- share
- swear
- ware
- Ayer
- blare
- flair
- forbear
- Kerr
- laissez faire
- mousquetaire
- pare
- prepare
- repair
- stare
- unfair
- yare
- -ware
- abear
- aflare
- despair
- glair
- heir
- impair
- Pierre
- reair
- scare
- tare
- trillionaire
- Voltaire
- aware
Questions about wear and tear
- What does wear and tear mean?
- Wear and tear means physical damage caused to an object due to ordinary use over time; specifically (accounting, law), as justifying a write-down of the object's value in a set of accounts, or exclusion of compensation for the object under a warranty of quality.
- What is wear and tear in Tamil?
- Wear and tear in Tamil is தேய்மானம், தேய்மான சேதாரம், தேய்வும் தொய்வும். See Wear and tear meaning in Tamil.
- What part of speech is wear and tear?
- Wear and tear can be a noun or a verb.
- How do you pronounce wear and tear?
- Wear and tear is pronounced /ˌwɛəɹ‿ən ˈtɛə/ (UK).
Words near wear and tear in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: wear and tear (page history and authors); wear and tear (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); wear and tear (Urdu Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wear and tear.wav, LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-wear and tear.wav.
Cite this entry: “wear and tear.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/wear_and_tear. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.