strengthen vs wear

strengthen

verb
  • To reinforce, to add to, to support (someone or something) 

  • To make strong or stronger; to add strength to; to increase the strength of; to fortify. 

  • To empower; to give moral strength to; to encourage; to enhearten. 

  • To grow strong or stronger. 

  • To substantiate; to corroborate (a belief, argument, etc.) 

  • To augment; to improve; to intensify. 

wear

verb
  • To have or carry on one's person habitually, consistently; or, to maintain in a particular fashion or manner. 

  • To eat away at, erode, diminish, or consume gradually; to cause a gradual deterioration in; to produce (some change) through attrition, exposure, or constant use. 

  • (in the phrase "wearing on (someone)") To cause annoyance, irritation, fatigue, or weariness near the point of an exhaustion of patience. 

  • To pass slowly, gradually or tediously. 

  • To ward off; prevent from approaching or entering; drive off; repel. 

  • To bring (a sailing vessel) onto the other tack by bringing the wind around the stern (as opposed to tacking when the wind is brought around the bow); to come round on another tack by turning away from the wind. Also written "ware". Past: weared, or wore/worn. 

  • To defend; protect. 

  • To bear or display in one's aspect or appearance. 

  • To carry or have equipped on or about one's body, as an item of clothing, equipment, decoration, etc. 

  • To overcome one's reluctance and endure a (previously specified) situation. 

  • To undergo gradual deterioration; become impaired; be reduced or consumed gradually due to any continued process, activity, or use. 

  • To exhaust, fatigue, expend, or weary. 

  • To last or remain durable under hard use or over time; to retain usefulness, value, or desirable qualities under any continued strain or long period of time; sometimes said of a person, regarding the quality of being easy or difficult to tolerate. 

  • To guard; watch; keep watch, especially from entry or invasion. 

  • To conduct or guide with care or caution, as into a fold or place of safety. 

noun
  • damage to the appearance and/or strength of an item caused by use over time 

  • (in combination) clothing 

  • fashion 

How often have the words strengthen and wear occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )