A1verb1K

Wear

UK /["/weə(r)/","/weəz/","/wɔː(r)/","/wɔːn/","/ˈweərɪŋ/"]/US /["/wer/","/werz/","/wɔːr/","/wɔːrn/","/ˈwerɪŋ/"]/

Definition

to have something on your body as a piece of clothing, a decoration, etc.

In simple words: to have clothes or accessories on your body

Examples

  • I like to wear my favorite jacket in the winter.
  • She will wear her new dress to the party.
  • The shoes began to wear out after many months of use.
  • I have to wear glasses because my eyesight is poor.
  • He had a habit of wearing a cap backwards.

Usage notes

Use 'wear' when talking about clothing or accessories. It's neutral, so you can use it in most situations, but avoid it in very formal contexts where more specific terms might be preferred.

Grammar pattern

wear + object

Memory hint

Sounds like 'where' — imagine looking for your clothes, asking 'where is my shirt?'

Collocations

  • proudly
  • comfortably
  • tend to
  • prefer to
  • choose to
  • badly
  • well

Synonyms

  • don
  • put on
  • dress
  • sport
  • attire

Antonyms

  • remove
  • take off

Common mistakes

  • 'Wears' is sometimes incorrectly used in past tense instead of 'wore'.
  • Confusing 'wear' with 'bear'.
  • Using 'wear' with non-clothing items, like 'wear a car'.