wear and tear

or wear-and-tear

[ tair ]

noun

1. damage or deterioration resulting from ordinary use; normal depreciation.

wear and tear

noun

1. damage, depreciation, or loss resulting from ordinary use

Word History and Origins

Origin of wear and tear¹

First recorded in 1660–70

Idioms and Phrases

Damage and deterioration resulting from ordinary use and exposure, as in This sofa shows a lot of wear and tear; we should replace it . [Second half of 1600s]

Example Sentences

But despite being only 25 years old at the end of the 1986 season, he did not maintain that form for the rest of his career as injuries and wear and tear from overuse set in.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s just wear and tear. I’ll be fine.”

From Los Angeles Times

Dave Baker, the chief executive officer of The Olympus Academy Trust, which runs Patchway, said the cracked ceiling in the school gym, like other areas of wear and tear, was "not worth replacing, because the whole thing is going to be knocked down within the next two years".

From BBC

"There is wear and tear on our roads, which have little or no maintenance at all," he added.

From BBC

"Possibly it's a wear and tear from the rest of the day."

From BBC

Related Words

• depletion
• depreciation
• erosion