Home Synonyms wear

Synonyms of wear in English:

wear


See US English definition of wear

See UK English definition of wear

See Spanish definition of desgaste

verb

1‘he was wearing a dark green suit’

SYNONYMS
be dressed in, be clothed in, have on, sport
dress in, clothe oneself in, put on, don

2‘Barbara wore a sweet smile’

SYNONYMS
have, have on one's face, present, show, display, exhibit, bear
give, put on, assume, form one's face into, make one's face into, compose one's face into, rearrange one's face into, ease one's face into, smooth one's face into, draw one's face into, twist one's face into, tug one's face into, pull one's face into, pinch one's face into, crease one's face into, crack one's face into, screw one's face into, screw up one's face into

3‘the bricks have been worn down by centuries of knife-sharpening’

SYNONYMS
erode, abrade, scour, scratch, scrape, rasp, rub away, rub down, grind away, fret, waste away, wash away, crumble, crumble away, wear down
corrode, eat away, eat away at, gnaw away, gnaw away at, dissolve, bite into

4‘the tyres are wearing well’

SYNONYMS
last, endure, hold up, survive, bear up, keep going, carry on, prove durable, resist wear, stand wear, withstand wear, stand up to wear, do
informal hang in there

5‘I've asked him to keep the bar open an hour later, but he won't wear it’

SYNONYMS
allow, permit, authorize, sanction, condone, indulge, agree to, accede to, approve of
endure, put up with, bear, take, stand, support, submit to, undergo
accept, swallow, tolerate, brook, countenance, admit of
Scottish thole
informal stick, hack, abide, stomach
British informal be doing with
archaic suffer

noun

1‘you won't get much wear out of something so cheap’

SYNONYMS
use, wearing, service, employment, utility, value
informal mileage

2‘the band were dressed in evening wear’

SYNONYMS
clothes, dress, clothing, attire, garb, finery, garments, outfits, wardrobe
British kit, strip
informal get-up, gear, togs, clobber
formal apparel
literary array, raiment, habiliments

3‘choose a varnish which will withstand wear’

SYNONYMS
damage, wear and tear, battering, friction, erosion, attrition, corrosion, abrasion, deterioration, degeneration
informal a few knocks
rare detrition

Phrases

    wear off

    ‘the novelty soon wore off’


    SYNONYMS
    fade, dwindle, diminish, lessen, decrease, wane, ebb, subside, weaken, lose intensity, lose strength, peter out, melt away, fizzle out, pall, taper off, tail off, grow faint, grow dim, evaporate, disappear, vanish, die, come to nothing, come to a halt, come to an end, run out
    lose its effect, lose its effectiveness
    wear someone out

    ‘eventually her exertions wore her out’


    SYNONYMS
    fatigue, tire out, overtire, weary, exhaust, drain, sap, wash out, tax, overtax, enervate, debilitate, enfeeble, jade, incapacitate, devitalize, prostrate
    informal whack, bush, shatter, frazzle, wear to a frazzle, poop, take it out of, fag out, do in
    British informal knacker
    wear out

    ‘a cheap bed will wear out faster than a quality one’


    SYNONYMS
    deteriorate, become worn, show signs of wear, come to the end of its life, become useless, wear thin, fray, become threadbare, go into holes, go through, wear through
    wear something down

    ‘she protested, but he wore down her resistance’


    SYNONYMS
    gradually overcome, slowly diminish, slowly lessen, slowly reduce, drain, erode, wear away, exhaust, undermine, chip away at
    wear something out

    ‘he wore out six pairs of walking boots’


    SYNONYMS
    use up, consume, go through, wear holes in, make threadbare, make worn
    wear on

    ‘as the afternoon wore on he began to look unhappy’


    SYNONYMS
    pass, elapse, proceed, progress, advance, move on, run its course, go by, go on, go past, roll by, roll on, roll past, march on, glide by, glide past, slide by, slide past, slip away, slip by, slip past, fly by, fly past, steal by, steal past, tick by, tick past