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 Things grow sinister once May’s crush balloons into an obsession that leaves her by turns tearful and raging. Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024 Here's what to know Coco Gauff had a tearful argument with the chair umpire during her third-round loss today. Washington post Staff, Washington Post, 30 July 2024 Related article Argentina wins Copa América in Miami final marred by chaotic crowd scenes and tearful Messi goodbye Match broadcasts showed some celebrating Argentina players ducking to avoid objects being thrown by fans toward the pitch, while some Morocco supporters entered the field. Andrew McNicol, CNN, 24 July 2024 That month, after 20 of its soldiers were killed in a border clash with China, the Indian government gave TikTok users a day to post tearful goodbyes and steer followers to other social media accounts. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 19 July 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 19 Aug. 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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