Have you ever got stuck on the correct past tense of the word wear in English grammar? This article will explain the conjugations of the word wear and also define wear and give you all the information you need about the word.

What Is the Definition of the Word Wear?

The word wear is defined in the English language as:

Transitive verb

to bear or have on the person
- wore a coat
to use habitually for clothing, adornment, or assistance
- wears a size 10
- wear glasses
to carry on the person
- wear a sword
to hold the rank or dignity or position signified by (an ornament)
- wear the royal crown
Exhibit, present
- wore a happy smile
- commend the book for wearing its research so lightly — Brad Leithauser
to show or fly (a flag or colors) on a ship
to cause to deteriorate by use
to impair or diminish by use or attrition: consume or waste gradually
- letters on the stone worn away by weathering
to produce gradually by friction or attrition
- wear a hole in the rug
to exhaust or lessen the strength of: weary, fatigue
to cause (a ship) to go about with the stern presented to the wind
British: to accept or tolerate without complaint: put up with —usually used in negative constructions
- your mates wouldn’t wear it — Colin MacInnes

Intransitive verb

to endure use: last under use or the passage of time
- material that will wear for years
to retain quality or vitality
- the classics wear well
to diminish or decay through use
- the heels of his shoes began to wear
to diminish or fail with the passage of time
- the effect of the drug wore off
- the day wore on
to grow or become by attrition or use
- the blade wore dull
of a ship: to change to an opposite tack by turning the stern to the wind
wear on
Irritate, fray
- the constant beeping wore on my nerves
wear the trousers or wear the pants
to have the controlling authority in a household
wear thin
to become weak or ready to give way
- my patience was wearing thin
to become trite, unconvincing, or out-of-date
- an argument that quickly wore thin

Noun

the act of wearing: the state of being worn
- clothes for everyday wear
clothing or an article of clothing usually of a particular kind
especially: clothing worn for a special occasion or popular during a specific period
Fashion, vogue
wearing quality: durability under use
the result of wearing or use: diminution or impairment due to use
- wear-resistant surface

Geographical name

river 67 miles (108 kilometers) long in northern England flowing into the North Sea at Sunderland

What Is the Past Tense of Wear?

Since it’s an irregular verb, the past tense of wear is wore. This would be used in a sentence like: I wore my favorite sweater to class on Friday.

How Do You Conjugate Wear?

Here are some verb conjugations of the English verb wear including the past tense verb forms:

Infinitive/Base Form: To wear

Past Participle of Wear: Worn

Present Participle/Gerund: Wearing

Present Perfect: Have worn

Past Perfect Tense: Had worn

Simple Present Tense	Simple Past Tense	Future Tense
I wear	wore	Am wearing
You wear	wore	Are wearing
Third-Person Singular He/ she/it wears	wore	Is wearing
We wear	wore	Are wearing
They wear	wore	Are wearing

Synonyms of Wear

Break – to become inoperative because of damage, wear, or strain
Burn out – exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration
Bust – exhaust, wear out —used in phrases like bust one’s butt to describe making a strenuous effort
Do in – to bring about the defeat or destruction of
Do up – to prepare (as by cleaning or repairing) for wear or use
Wash out – to destroy or make useless by the force or action of water
Drain – to exhaust physically or emotionally
Exhaust – to tire extremely or completely
Fatigue – the uniform or work clothing worn on fatigue and in the field
Frazzle – to put in a state of extreme physical or nervous fatigue

Examples of the Word in Context

Some people may have medical reasons for not being able to wear face coverings. — Aidin Vaziri, SFChronicle.com, “Is it safe to fly? With SFO and Bay Area airports getting busier, here’s how to mitigate risk,” 5 Sep. 2020
Kentuckians are reminded to wear facial masks in public, avoid large gatherings and wash hands often. — Deborah Yetter, The Courier-Journal, “Beshear reports 809 new COVID-19 cases, 11 deaths in Kentucky, extends mask mandate,” 5 Sep. 2020
Deaths could be reduced by 30% if more Americans wear face masks, researchers said, adding that mask-wearing is actually on the decline among Americans. — Sophie Lewis, CBS News, “Coronavirus model projects U.S. deaths will surpass 400,000 by end of year,” 5 Sep. 2020
Despite the high number of cases, the Democratic governor insisted his requirement that people wear masks in public is working and indicated the order will be extended again later in the month. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, “WWII anniversary, liquor boom, tracking app: News from around our 50 states,” 5 Sep. 2020
Many like to wear headlamps at night and gig them with trident spears. — Bill Monroe, oregonlive, “Bill Monroe: Eat a frog, save a frog (or fish, pond turtle, etc.),” 5 Sep. 2020
If people follow social distancing measures and wear masks, those measures will limit transmission of covid-19 — and control influenza. — Washington Post, “Covid-19: A bad flu season colliding with the pandemic could be overwhelming,” 5 Sep. 2020
At practice, all players and coaches are expected to wear masks at virtually all times. — Anthony Anderson, The Indianapolis Star, “Niele Ivey settling into role as Notre Dame women’s basketball head coach,” 5 Sep. 2020
Young people gathered for parties, sometimes away from the watch of authorities and didn’t follow social distancing guidance or wear masks, officials said. — Matthew Dalton, WSJ, “Coronavirus Cases Surge in France as People Return to Schools, Offices,” 4 Sep. 2020

Summary

Next time you need to write the word wear, you will be well prepared for everything you need to know what it is and how to use it efficiently. You should feel confident with the different conjugations, the history of the word, and the definition.

Sources:

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.

The Past Tense of Wear: Here’s What It Is and How to Use It

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What Is the Definition of the Word Wear?

What Is the Past Tense of Wear?

How Do You Conjugate Wear?

Synonyms of Wear

Examples of the Word in Context

Summary

Sources:

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