When something is torn, it has been ripped or pulled apart, creating a jagged opening or split. A piece of paper gets torn when you pull it in two directions. Your favorite shirt might get torn on a fence, leaving a hole or ragged edge. Unlike a clean cut made with scissors, a tear usually looks rough and uneven.

The word also describes feeling pulled between two different choices or feelings. You might feel torn between staying home to finish a project and going to your friend's birthday party. When you're torn, both options matter to you, making the decision genuinely difficult. A character in a story might be torn between loyalty to a friend and doing what's right.

Torn is the past tense of tear (which rhymes with “air,” not “ear”). You might tear your jeans today, and then say they were torn yesterday. People sometimes say they're “torn up” about something when they feel deeply upset or conflicted.