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.
After lashing out at Morgan for suggesting that Lucia was a suspect, Karadec shows up at Morgan’s front door to apologize, leading to a tearful heart-to-heart between the partners. Max Gao, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026 The tearful moment was captured on video. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026 But many other comments mocked the shop along with its presidential namesake, with a few detractors posting memes of tearful snowflakes topped with red MAGA hats. Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026 That’s how Guthrie managed those previous tearful, temporary returns. Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 3 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

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Cite this Entry

“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tearful. Accessed 11 Apr. 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

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