tearful

adjective

tear·​ful ˈtir-fəl How to pronounce tearful (audio)
1
: flowing with or accompanied by tears
tearful entreaties
2
: causing tears : teary
a tearful eulogy
tearfully adverb
tearfulness noun

Examples of tearful in a Sentence

He looked up at me with his tearful eyes and asked for help. the tearful parting of two lovers
Recent Examples on the Web All three movies in West’s X trilogy basically deliver on that front, even the slightly ponderous Pearl, which featured fewer murders and more tearful monologues by Goth. David Sims, The Atlantic, 2 July 2024 Angelini apologized during tearful remarks at the sentencing hearing. Madeleine O'Neill, Baltimore Sun, 28 June 2024 That act of care leads to a tearful conversation with Mikey. Judy Berman, TIME, 27 June 2024 Her tearful wish thundered across the internet in the days that followed, resulting in hundreds of messages to the Norwegian producer. Julia Daye, Miami Herald, 25 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for tearful 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tearful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tearful was circa 1586

Dictionary Entries Near tearful

Cite this Entry

“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tearful. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

tearful

adjective
tear·​ful ˈti(ə)r-fəl How to pronounce tearful (audio)
: flowing with, accompanied by, or causing tears
tearfully adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tearful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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