torn
Americanverb
verb
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the past participle of tear 1
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slang an unexpected event or circumstance has upset one's plans
adjective
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split or cut
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divided or undecided, as in preference
he was torn between staying and leaving
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Explanation
Torn things have been pulled apart or ripped. Things can be literally torn, like a torn piece of paper, or figuratively torn — like your torn heart when you have to take sides in a family feud. You can serve a salad full of torn lettuce leaves, or mend a stuffed animal with a torn ear. In both cases, something has been divided by force, or pulled apart. It's also possible to be emotionally torn, or conflicted between two choices, options, or people: "I'm torn between going to the party or staying home and reading my library book." Either way, torn things are difficult (and sometimes impossible) to repair.
Vocabulary lists containing torn
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Technically, it’s Year 3, but after a torn ACL derailed her as a rookie two summers ago, it’s practically like Year 2 for the former Stanford star.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
This is why the nation’s founders instituted religious freedom — they witnessed how Europe was torn apart by wars waged between different flavors of Christianity.
From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026
For a few years before it was torn down, however, the venue was rented out to young artists, who briefly transformed it into an iconic nightlife and culture venue.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
I was torn between signing and going on to a four-year college on a scholarship.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
A torn strip of black fabric— from Edward Ashton’s cloak, perhaps?—was tucked inside as a bookmark.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
