tearjerker
noun
tear·jerk·er
ˈtir-ˌjər-kər 
: a story, song, play, film, or broadcast that moves or is intended to move its audience to tears
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
The Oscar is a capper on Buckley’s pitch-perfect awards run for the nuclear grade tearjerker about grief, mysticism, and the power of motherhood.
—
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 15 Mar. 2026
Actually, tearjerkers, as a genre, are noble, albeit with a lousy reputation and a glib name for what is essentially an empathy machine that’s eager to streamline complicated emotions.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
That tearjerker took in $50 million domestically during its first weekend and eventually made $823 million globally.
—G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026
Best Picture With apologies to Hamnet, losing at BAFTA likely puts the kibosh on the Tudor tearjerker’s Best Picture hopes.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tearjerker
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Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 15 Mar. 2026
Actually, tearjerkers, as a genre, are noble, albeit with a lousy reputation and a glib name for what is essentially an empathy machine that’s eager to streamline complicated emotions.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
That tearjerker took in $50 million domestically during its first weekend and eventually made $823 million globally.
—G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026
Best Picture With apologies to Hamnet, losing at BAFTA likely puts the kibosh on the Tudor tearjerker’s Best Picture hopes.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tearjerker
Cite this Entry
“Tearjerker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tearjerker. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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