Dictionary

tear up en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈtɛəɹ ˈʌp/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈtɛəɹ ˈʌp/ (General-American)

Etymology

See: tear (“to rip, shred”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To tear into pieces.
   • The student tore up his test after he found out his mark of 20%.
2. (figuratively, transitive) To cancel or annul, or to cause the cancellation or annulment of (e.g. an agreement or contract).
   • I finally persuaded the landlord to tear up the lease and move to a month-by-month rental.
3. (idiomatic, transitive) To damage.
   • The lacrosse practice really tore up the field.
   • We were making a joke about him not tearing it up; because the first person that puts a dent in it is going to get in trouble. 2012, Scotty Rae Hettinger, 5/22: Stories of Survival, Stories of Faith, →ISBN, page 231:
   • You talk about the same thing but from different points of view. He is saying, "Didn't hurt the car much." You're saying "He's tearing up the car and we're having to make payments on it." 1994, Virginia Satir, James Stachowiak, Harvey A. Taschman, Helping Families to Change, →ISBN, page 243:
4. (idiomatic, transitive) To succeed dramatically in (an area of endeavor) or against.
   • Taking advantage of her haughty obliviousness—Faris is every bit Margaret Dumont to Baron Cohen’s Groucho—Aladeen conspires to seize power back and tear up the new constitution before it’s too late. 2012 May 15, Scott Tobias, “Film: Reviews: The Dictator”, in The Onion AV Club:
   • In his first year, his hitting tore up the league's opposing pitchers.
5. (transitive) To wrench out of the ground.
   • There was another incline on this section, but it has not been in use for very many years, and some of the rails are torn up, and the rest very overgrown. 1941 October, “Notes and News: The Lee Moor Tramway”, in Railway Magazine, page 470:
   • We tore up the weeds from the allotment.
6. (slang, transitive, vulgar) To have intense penetrative sex with.
   • Chad tore up Stacy after that party.
7. (slang, transitive) To brutally assault.
   • Jason tore up Todd after finding out that he was having sex with his sister.

Forms

Deriveds

tear up the dance floor · tear up the pea patch

Relateds

tear it up

Translations (19)

pl rozszarpywać (To brutally assault.) · pl zmiażdżyć (To succeed dramatically in (an area of endeavor) or against.) · bg разкъсвам (To tear into pieces.) · pl szkodzić (To damage) · bg изскубвам (To wrench out of the ground.) · pl drzeć (To tear into pieces.) · pl ruchać się (To have intense sex with.) · th ฉีกเป็นชิ้นๆ (To tear into pieces.) · pl rozdzierać (To tear into pieces.) · pl rozerwać (To tear into pieces.) · pl miażdżyć (To succeed dramatically in (an area of endeavor) or against.) · pl wyrywać z korzeniami (To wrench out of the ground.) · pl rozrywać (To tear into pieces.) · pl rozszarpać (To brutally assault.) · el καταξεσκίζω (To tear into pieces.) · pl zaszkodzić (To damage) · pl wyrwać z korzeniami (To wrench out of the ground.) · pl podrzeć (To tear into pieces.) · pl rozedrzeć (To tear into pieces.)

tear up en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈtɪɹ ˈʌp/ (General-American)
• /ˈtɪəɹ ˈʌp/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

See: tear (“liquid that falls from the eyes”).

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To start shedding tears.
   • After seeing Johnny tear up at that cheesy movie, I knew he was a loser.

Forms

Relateds

choke up · well up

Translations (3)

pl rozklejać się (to tear) · pl mieć łzy w oczach (to tear) · pl rozkleić się (to tear)