tearful

adjective

tear·​ful ˈtir-fəl How to pronounce tearful (audio)
Synonyms of tearfulnext
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.
The masked thugs deposit a tearful middle-aged woman in front of Bass, Newsom, and Harris. Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026 Best of all are turtle release dates, when staff doctors deem a turtle healthy enough to rewild—the community comes to the beach to see it off, joyful and even tearful as the turtle ambles into waves and disappears beneath them. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026 Viewers also got a closer look at how Tarek was there for her during the difficult period, especially when the pair had a tearful heart-to-heart and forgave each other for all their past wrongdoings in the first episode. Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026 Edward Eastland, one of the camp directors and a member of the Eastland family that owns and operates the 100-year-old camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River, offered a tearful public apology to the victims’ families on Tuesday. Jim Vertuno, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tearful. Accessed 15 May. 2026.

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster