Hello and welcome back to Daily English! Today’s phrasal verb is “tear up.” One more time — tear up. Let’s see if you can guess what it means from these clues:
You find an old letter from your grandmother — her handwriting, her words, her love — and suddenly, your eyes start to fill with tears. You’re not sobbing, not crying loudly… just quietly tearing up.
Or maybe you're watching a movie, and there’s a scene where two people finally forgive each other.You feel something deep inside, and your eyes start to water. You don’t cry. You just… tear up. So, what does “tear up” mean?
To tear up means to start crying slightly, or for your eyes to fill with tears — usually because you’re touched, moved, or overwhelmed by emotion.
It’s usually gentle and quiet, not full-on crying.
Examples:
“She teared up when her friends surprised her with a goodbye party.”“I always tear up when I hear that one song — it reminds me of my childhood.”
“He teared up during his speech but kept going, even with his voice shaking.”
Quick Note on Pronunciation:
The word “tear” here is pronounced /tɪr/ — like “teer”, rhyming with “clear” or “cheer.”
So “tear up” means to get emotional and almost cry.
It’s not like the other “tear” — as in “to tear a piece of paper” — which is pronounced /tɛr/, like “air.” although the spelling is the same. English can be funny like that!
Your Turn! Can you remember a moment when you teared up — not from sadness, but from something beautiful or meaningful? Maybe it was a message from someone you love.
Or a memory that suddenly felt alive again.