WEARING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does wearing mean? 

• WEARING (noun)
  The noun WEARING has 2 senses:

1. (geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it)

2. the act of having on your person as a covering or adornment

  Familiarity information: WEARING used as a noun is rare.

• WEARING (adjective)
  The adjective WEARING has 1 sense:

1. producing exhaustion

  Familiarity information: WEARING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WEARING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

eating away; eroding; erosion; wearing; wearing away

Hypernyms ("wearing" is a kind of...):

geologic process; geological process ((geology) a natural process whereby geological features are modified)

Domain category:

geology (a science that deals with the history of the earth as recorded in rocks)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "wearing"):

chatter mark (marks on a glaciated rock caused by the movement of a glacier)

ablation (the erosive process that reduces the size of glaciers)

abrasion; attrition; corrasion; detrition (erosion by friction)

beach erosion (the erosion of beaches)

deflation ((geology) the erosion of soil as a consequence of sand and dust and loose rocks being removed by the wind)

planation (the process of erosion whereby a level surface is produced)

soil erosion (the washing away of soil by the flow of water)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of having on your person as a covering or adornment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

wear; wearing

Context example:

she bought it for everyday wear

Hypernyms ("wearing" is a kind of...):

act; deed; human action; human activity (something that people do or cause to happen)

Derivation:

wear (have on one's person)

• WEARING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Producing exhaustion

Synonyms:

exhausting; tiring; wearing; wearying

Context example:

the visit was especially wearing

Similar:

effortful (requiring great physical effort)

 Context examples 

At last, with a swallow or two, he spoke, his face still wearing the same expression of extreme perplexity.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Losing weight and wearing loose clothing can help, too.

(Hidradenitis Suppurativa, NIH)

Wearing shoes that fit better or using non-medicated pads may help.

(Corns and Calluses, NIH: National Institute on Aging)

Be careful when wearing dentures because they may make it harder for you to feel hot foods and liquids.

(Dentures, NIH: National Institute on Aging)

Wearing protective gear during sports may help prevent dislocations.

(Dislocations, NIH)

But the rest, which one night entirely sleepless, and many hours of the most wearing anxiety seemed to make requisite, was kept off by irritation of spirits.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

As he turned towards us the glint of the light showed me that he was wearing glasses.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Don't YOU see a wasting and a wearing in him, Miss Wickfield?” inquired Mrs. Heep.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

There was a soldier before the door, dressed in a green uniform and wearing a long green beard.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Wearing activity and sleep monitors 24 hours a day, the 22 study participants also reported sleeping better, falling asleep faster, and even increased their sleep duration by 24 minutes a night.

(Artificial Light of Digital Devices Lessens Sleep Quality, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)