to tear apart
21
5.6
- phrasal verb
- /tɛr əˈpɑrt/
- Informal
:
destrozar
- You have torn apart their lives.
I really don't understand the fascination in wanting to see somebody torn apart.
- I really don't understand the fascination in wanting to see somebody torn apart.
- You see, she is being persecuted because black women are held to a different standard where they get torn apart, they get attacked in personal terms and so on.
- Second, is there some overriding social cultural issue that you wanted to tear apart not to destroy it, but to unpack?
Examples
-
If you look at the country today, you see families torn apart.
Fiction book (1991) -
"The Twilight Saga is not something to be totally and completely torn apart for analysis."
Blog text (22) -
"I think it is all about how to tear apart a relationship or country, not build it."
Blog text (30) -
You can tear apart everything that I've built.
-
Luckily, it looks like the family isn't being torn apart by this nonsense.
Blog text (34) -
Several accounts of the period portray the region as being torn apart by partisan violence.
Academic text (2014) -
Ann Maria Weems was just 13 when her family was torn apart by slavery.
Fiction book (1999) -
As for the NCHC, it tore apart the WCHA by taking six teams.
Blog text (24) -
The critics were quick to tear apart the new movie for its poor storyline and weak performances.
-
During the debate, she did not hesitate to tear apart his arguments point by point.
Synonyms
70
5.8
To say very bad things about someone or something
33
7.6
To scold someone strongly for doing something wrong
23
8.2
To say angry, insulting things about someone or something
15
7.3
To severely criticize someone or something
14
5.2
To find faults in ideas or work by pointing out small problems
10
6.9
Tear something into many pieces or say very bad things about it
9
9.8
To criticize someone or something very harshly in public
8
6.4
To strongly criticize something in a review
5
4.3
To find and show weak points in an idea or plan
4
7.4
To attack someone with strong angry words
4
7.4
To attack or criticize someone strongly
3
9.8
To scold someone very harshly
2
8.3
To defeat a person or their argument easily and completely
2
9.9
To scold someone angrily
1
8.0
To criticize someone or something very strongly in public
1
7.2
To find and point out weak points in an idea, plan or argument
Strongly insult someone in front of others to embarrass them
To criticize someone angrily using harsh words
Antonyms
How Harsh
- Informal
21
5.6
- Informal
10
6.9
- Informal
14
5.2
701
3.3
589
1.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal sense of 'tear' (pull apart) combined with 'apart' gives a clear metaphorical image of ripping something to pieces, which can be extended to 'dismantle or attack verbally.' However, the specific pragmatic sense of carefully finding and discussing faults is an extended, figurative use that may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
The verb tear apart comes from the image of tear meaning 'rip' and apart meaning 'into pieces', like ripping a paper into shreds. So tear apart means 'to criticize very severely' because critics pull an idea to pieces to show every fault.