noun phrase🎓 English idiom

wear and tear

damage caused by ordinary use over time

What it means

Wear and tear is the gradual damage or deterioration that happens to something simply from being used normally. It's the kind of fading, scuffing, or weakening you'd expect from everyday life — not from abuse or accidents.

Examples

  • The carpet is showing some wear and tear after ten years.
  • Normal wear and tear isn't covered by the security deposit.
  • Long commutes cause real wear and tear on a car's engine.
  • Years of touring took a lot of wear and tear on the band's equipment.

Where it comes from

A legal and commercial phrase in use since the 1600s, pairing 'wear' (gradual erosion) with 'tear' (ripping or breaking) to cover all forms of routine damage.

Related idioms

#bits and pieces#odds and ends#ups and downs#rough and tumble

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