wear
verb/weə(r)/
/wer/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they wear | /weə(r)/ /wer/ |
| he / she / it wears | /weəz/ /werz/ |
| past simple wore | /wɔː(r)/ /wɔːr/ |
| past participle worn | /wɔːn/ /wɔːrn/ |
| -ing form wearing | /ˈweərɪŋ/ /ˈwerɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] wear something to have something on your body as a piece of clothing, a decoration, etc.
- He was wearing a new suit.
- to wear clothes/clothing
- to wear a shirt/hat/uniform
- to wear shoes/glasses
- Do I have to wear a tie?
- Was she wearing a seat belt?
- She never wears make-up.
- All delegates must wear a badge.
- She always wears black (= black clothes).
- I've got nothing to wear.
- One woman decided to wear flowers in her hair.
Homophones ware | wear | whereware wear where/weə(r)//wer/- ware noun
- The products include porcelain and ceramic ware.
- wear verb
- Don't wear that jacket—it's far too big!
- wear noun
- Comfortable and smart, this jacket is suitable for office wear.
- where adverb
- Where are you going on your next adventure?
- where conjunction
- He was free to go where he liked.
Homophones war | worewar wore/wɔː(r)//wɔːr/- war noun
- It's in memory of the soldiers who gave their lives during the war.
- wore verb (past tense of wear)
- He wore his raincoat all day, even though it was sunny.
Collocations Clothes and fashionClothes and fashionClothes- be wearing a new outfit/bright colours/fancy dress/uniform
- be (dressed) in black/red/jeans and a T-shirt/your best suit/silk/rags (= very old torn clothes)
- be dressed for work/school/dinner/a special occasion
- be dressed as a clown/pirate/policeman
- wear/dress in casual/designer/second-hand clothes
- wear jewellery/accessories/a watch/glasses/contact lenses/perfume
- have a cowboy hat/red dress/blue suit on
- put on/take off your clothes/coat/shoes/helmet
- pull on/pull off your coat/gloves/socks
- change into/get changed into a pair of jeans/your pyjamas
- change/enhance/improve your appearance
- create/get/have/give something a new/contemporary/retro look
- brush/comb/shampoo/wash/blow-dry your hair
- have/get a haircut/your hair cut/a new hairstyle
- have/get a piercing/your nose pierced
- have/get a tattoo/a tattoo done (on your arm)/a tattoo removed
- have/get a makeover/cosmetic surgery
- use/wear/apply/put on make-up/cosmetics
- follow/keep up with (the) fashion/the latest fashions
- spend/waste money on designer clothes
- be fashionably/stylishly/well dressed
- have good/great/terrible/awful taste in clothes
- update/revamp your wardrobe
- be in/come into/go out of fashion
- be (back/very much) in vogue
- create a style/trend/vogue for something
- organize/put on a fashion show
- show/unveil a designer’s spring/summer collection
- sashay/strut down the catwalk/(North American English also) runway
- be on/do a photo/fashion shoot
Extra ExamplesTopics Clothes and Fashiona1- She wears purple shoes with red polka dots.
- He had forgotten to wear his gloves.
- He is entitled to wear the regimental tie.
- I tend to wear a jacket to work.
- I will probably choose to wear jeans.
- She refused to wear prison clothes.
- They came in, proudly wearing their uniforms.
- the first time that I had ever dared to wear something like this
- Do you have to wear a suit for work?
- He wasn't wearing his raincoat, he was carrying it over his arm.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- proudly
- comfortably
- tend to
- prefer to
- choose to
- …
- [transitive] to have your hair in a particular style; to have a beard or moustache
- wear something + adj. She wears her hair long.
- Hannah preferred to wear her hair short.
- wear something to wear a beard
- [transitive] wear something to have a particular expression on your face
- He wore a puzzled look on his face.
- His face wore a puzzled look.
- Both men wore confident smiles.
- She turned to us, wearing a blank expression.
- [intransitive, transitive] to become, or make something become thinner, smoother or weaker through continuous use or rubbing
- The carpets are starting to wear.
- A racing car's rear end gets very loose as the tyres wear.
- wear + adj. The sheets have worn thin.
- wear something + adj. The stones have been worn smooth by the constant flow of water.
- [transitive] wear something + adv./prep. to make a hole, path, etc. in something by continuous use or rubbing
- I've worn holes in all my socks.
- The water had worn a channel in the rock.
- [intransitive] wear well to stay in good condition after being used for a long time
- That carpet is wearing well, isn't it?
- (figurative, humorous) You're wearing well—only a few grey hairs!
- Those curtains have worn very well.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- badly
- well
- [transitive] (usually used in questions and negative sentences) wear something (British English, informal) to accept or allow something, especially something that you do not approve of
- It's an interesting proposal, but the rich countries are never going to wear it.
clothing/decoration
hair
expression on face
damage with use
stay in good condition
accept/allow
Word OriginOld English werian, of Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin vestis ‘clothing’.
Idioms
See wear in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee wear in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishif the shoe fits (, wear it) (North American English)
(British English if the cap fits (, wear it))
- if you feel that a remark applies to you, you should accept it and take it as a warning or criticism
wear your heart on your sleeve
- to allow your feelings to be seen by other people
- He’s not one to wear his heart on his sleeve.
wear thin
- to begin to become weaker or less acceptable
- These excuses are wearing a little thin (= because we've heard them so many times before).
- My patience is beginning to wear very thin.
wear the trousers (British English)
(North American English wear the pants)
- (often disapproving, becoming old-fashioned) (especially of a woman) to be the person in a marriage or other relationship who makes most of the decisions
- It’s obvious who wears the trousers in that family!
Check pronunciation:
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