Tearable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. An item that is prone to being ripped or separated easily by physical force may be described as able to undergo tearing
2. An object characterized by its susceptibility to damage through ripping or pulling indicates it can be torn apart
3. Able to be pulled apart or split by force without much effort

Etymology: "Tearable" is a plain formation: the verb "tear" with the suffix "-able," which turns a verb into an adjective meaning "able to be" the thing the verb describes. Put together, a tearable material is one that can be torn, and the meaning is kept close to the literal sense of pulling something apart. The interesting part is the pair of "tear" words sitting side by side in English. "Tear" (rhyming with "fair") is the act of ripping, while "tear" (rhyming with "here") is the drop of liquid from the eye, and the two came from different Old English roots. "Tearable" belongs to the first, so it has nothing to do with weeping, even though readers may hear the same spelling and assume a connection.

Synonyms: rippable, snappable, breakable, disintegrable, fragmentable

Antonyms: durable, strong, sturdy, resilient, unbreakable