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