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.
After a tearful goodbye to his wife Athena (Angela Bassett), Bobby gets down on his knees and prays before collapsing onto the table. Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2025 His gamble has since paid off with regular radio play, loud sing-alongs at shows and tearful fans at meet-and-greets who share how the song has touched them. Nancy Kruh, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025 Megan was tearful for a second and seemed to gather herself for a few moments onstage. Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2025 Isabelle McCalla gives an endearing, heartfelt and sometimes tearful performance as Elinor, who sings poignantly about her desire to be more useful in society than just a child-bearing ornament. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 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 25 Apr. 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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