1 B1 neutral
To rip something into pieces with force.
"The dog tore the cushion apart within minutes of being left alone."
separable
tear apart
B1 informal separable transitive
To destroy something completely, to cause great emotional pain, or to criticise harshly.
In plain English
To rip something into pieces, hurt someone deeply inside, or say really bad things about something.
What does "tear apart" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To cause great emotional pain or distress to someone.
"Watching her parents argue every night was tearing the child apart."
“
You're tearing me apart, Lisa!
— Tommy Wiseau, The Room (2003 film)
separable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
To divide or destroy a group, community, or relationship through conflict.
"The bitter dispute over money tore the family apart for years."
separable
4 B2 idiomatic informal
To criticise something or someone very severely.
"The reviewers tore his debut novel apart, calling it derivative and dull."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To pull or rip an object so forcefully that it comes apart into separate pieces.
Actually means
To rip something into pieces, hurt someone deeply inside, or say really bad things about something.
Usage tip
Very common in both physical and emotional/figurative senses. The emotional sense ('it's tearing me apart') is especially frequent in everyday speech and media.
Words that pair with "tear apart"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
family community argument grief criticism relationship
How to conjugate "tear apart"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
tear apart
I/you/we/they
3rd person
tears apart
he/she/it
Past simple
tore apart
yesterday
Past participle
torn apart
have + pp
-ing form
tearing apart
continuous
Hear "tear apart" in the wild
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Other ways to say "tear apart"
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Keep exploring
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