weep

verb

ˈwēp 

wept ˈwept  ; weeping

transitive verb

1

: to express deep sorrow for usually by shedding tears : bewail

weeping the sins and errors of his youth

—Edward Gibbon

2

: to pour forth (tears) from the eyes

3

: to exude (a fluid) slowly : ooze

a tree weeping sap

intransitive verb

1

: to express passion (such as grief) by shedding tears

2

a

: to give off or leak fluid slowly : ooze

b

of a fluid : to flow sluggishly or in drops

3

: to droop over : bend

Synonyms

• bleed
• exude
• ooze
• percolate
• seep
• strain
• sweat
• transude

Examples of weep in a Sentence

He wept at the news of her death.

She sat down and wept.

He wept bitter tears of disappointment.

The meringue will weep if you put it in the fridge.

Recent Examples on the Web

The dog owner can be seen bending over and weeping, while her pup stayed close by. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Best Phil sight gag: weeping in response to overhearing Jay say nice things about him. —Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 29 Sep. 2024

Murray’s Cheese 7 Monthly Cheese Clubs Shop at The giftable subscriptions available through Murray’s are enough to make any brie lover or gouda hound weep. —Sara Coughlin, SELF, 29 Oct. 2024

Family members in the gallery wept deeply and hugged one another as Circuit Judge David Swanson polled the jury. —Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wepen, from Old English wēpan; akin to Old High German wuoffan to weep, Serbian & Croatian vapiti to cry out

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing weep

• weep hole

Kids Definition

weep

verb

ˈwēp 

wept ˈwept  ; weeping

1

: to show emotion and especially sorrow by shedding tears : cry

2

: to give off liquid slowly or in drops : ooze

a tree weeping sap

weeper noun

Medical Definition

weep

verb

ˈwēp 

wept ˈwept  ; weeping

transitive verb

1

: to pour forth (tears) from the eyes

2

: to exude (a fluid) slowly

intransitive verb

1

: to shed tears

2

: to exude a serous fluid

a weeping burn