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
But family scenes help ground Kiyoko’s tearjerker in universal questions of shame and self-acceptance that land harder through Coley’s arc than the on-again-off-again fling surrounding her growth.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 16 June 2026
Hüller was overwhelmed by the praise at the Palais, her trademark stoicism breaking as the crowd saluted her moments of emotional abandon — including a tearjerker of a long-distance phone call and an explosion of rage at her narcissistic patriarch.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 14 May 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
See All Example Sentences for tearjerker
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.
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 16 June 2026
Hüller was overwhelmed by the praise at the Palais, her trademark stoicism breaking as the crowd saluted her moments of emotional abandon — including a tearjerker of a long-distance phone call and an explosion of rage at her narcissistic patriarch.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 14 May 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
See All Example Sentences for tearjerker
Cite this Entry
“Tearjerker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tearjerker. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
