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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Riding high off a tearful speech at the Golden Globes, where the film won Best Musical or Comedy, Gascón was an Oscars front-runner until a cascade of hateful past social media posts resurfaced. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 3 Mar. 2025 While accepting her first Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in Emilia Pérez, a tearful Zoe Saldaña talked about her family, many of whom were in the room at the Dolby. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Mar. 2025 In January, a tearful Selena Gomez took to Instagram Stories to share an emotional video reacting to mass deportations happening across the country. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025 Cecilio Javier Adames was one of the six men aboard the doomed vessel that sank in Ambrose Channel Sunday, said his tearful ex-wife, who did not provide her name. Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tearful

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

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Cite this Entry

“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tearful. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

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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