tearjerker

noun

tear·​jerk·​er ˈtir-ˌjər-kər How to pronounce tearjerker (audio)
: a story, song, play, film, or broadcast that moves or is intended to move its audience to tears
tear-jerking adjective

Examples of tearjerker in a Sentence

I'm not in the mood to see a tearjerker. Let's watch something funny instead.
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.
In other words, for a story to be considered a true tragedy (not just a tearjerker or a horror), the protagonist must end up either dead or better off dead. Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024 Rez Ball, like the recent Ben Affleck tearjerker The Way Back, is really an earnest melodrama that conflates recovery off the court with a big comeback on it. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024 Watch Christmas Lodge on Amazon Prime Video November Christmas (2010) Be warned: This one's an absolute tearjerker. Nicole Briese, People.com, 16 Dec. 2024 Others, like this early tearjerker episode of ABC's enduring medical drama, can pull your heartstrings, just like every other episode. Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tearjerker 

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tearjerker was in 1912

Dictionary Entries Near tearjerker

Cite this Entry

“Tearjerker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tearjerker. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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