1
as in emotional
given to expressing strong emotion (as sorrow) by readily shedding tears
a tearful woman who can be counted on to cry at every wedding, anniversary, and funeral
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
causing unhappiness
the tearful end to what had once been a close friendship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of tearful
Several relayed tearful or frustrating stories of calling 911 only to have an officer show up late or not at all.
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Ella McCarthy, Austin American-Statesman, 24 Oct. 2024
Teeter gives poignant horseback mourning moments and a tearful eulogy of sorts during the dark drive to Yellowstone.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2024
Adele concludes her Las Vegas residency The superstar singer bid a tearful farewell to her fans on the final night of her Las Vegas residency.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 25 Nov. 2024
Adele delivered a tearful speech on Saturday night, Nov. 23, during her final Weekends With Adele Las Vegas residency show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tearful 
Ella McCarthy, Austin American-Statesman, 24 Oct. 2024
Teeter gives poignant horseback mourning moments and a tearful eulogy of sorts during the dark drive to Yellowstone.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2024
Adele concludes her Las Vegas residency The superstar singer bid a tearful farewell to her fans on the final night of her Las Vegas residency.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 25 Nov. 2024
Adele delivered a tearful speech on Saturday night, Nov. 23, during her final Weekends With Adele Las Vegas residency show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tearful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearful
Adjective
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The family is suing Danzer for fraud as well as for medical battery and infliction of emotional distress.Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
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Huger’s emotional state in the wake of her mother’s death became a key point in the trial.Shelby Stewart, Essence, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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However, sad to say, Gmail accounts remain a prime target for attackers of all sorts and understanding the threat is key to getting a grip on mitigating it.Davey Winder, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
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What kids gain from taking charge of their own feelings Having strong emotional regulation skills doesn’t mean kids won’t feel sad, angry, or frustrated — that’s part of being human.Amy Morin, Contributor, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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Two of the movies feature both Adams and Julianne Moore, and what’s really depressing is that such a phenomenal pairing got wasted on hapless material.Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
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And seeing even a preview of that was so depressing for me.Okla Jones, Essence, 4 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Tucker Carlson's Fox News replacement:Jesse Watters is perfectly pathetic These 3 Arizona spots were ranked among top US dive bars for food.Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Dec. 2024
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The over is the obvious bet here given the pathetic state of both defenses.Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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There weren’t any teary, meaningful good-byes on set, though, because when production wrapped in March, the creators, cast, and crew didn’t yet know that season three would be their last.Jen Chaney, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2024
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As our conversation rolls on, both Hilton and Richie are forthcoming and friendly, even offering up kindness to a teary fan who ambles over to our booth and asks for a photo of Hilton.Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Very few directors working today can put across a movie like Gladiator II as convincingly, which perhaps explains why the sequel — for all its barbaric violence and the plaintive, at times stirring, discussions about justice and democracy — doesn’t have the mournful quality that the first film did.Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
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Russell Crowe beating people to death in a soulful, mournful way?Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Closing Costs • Carla delivers a beautiful baby boy named Jimmy, after Dennis’s father, but as Dennis gets all weepy about his impending death and becomes just a blurry memory to his sweet son, the woman cannot keep Denise’s secret from him any longer.Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
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Well, for comparison’s sake, here are the best moments from Erivo and Grande’s extremely weepy press tour (part one).Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near tearful
Cite this Entry
“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearful. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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