tearful

adjective

tear·ful | \ ˈtir-fəl

Definition of tearful

1 : flowing with or accompanied by tears tearful entreaties

2 : causing tears : teary a tearful eulogy

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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

Her husband and stepdaughter held a tearful news conference, saying she was killed during an act of charity. — Tim Prudente, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore prosecutors drop murder case, add accessory charge against daughter in killing blamed on panhandler," 3 June 2019 After her tearful exit, Chloe continued to pursue her passion for dance by joining Pittsburgh’s Studio 19 and later switching to Dance Mechanics in Allison Park, PA. — Mackenzie Dunn, Woman's Day, "How Chloe Lukasiak Is Moving On From Her 'Dance Moms' Past," 26 May 2019 A’Leah Burrell, who will be competing in the Miss Georgia pageant next week, posted a tearful Facebook video that detailed her own struggles with body image. — Katherine Nails, Philly.com, "Contestants commend, criticize Miss America's swimsuit elimination," 6 June 2018 After a tearful address to his team and his postgame news conference, Hopkins sat in a quiet room still contemplating and fretting about all the things that went wrong in the biggest game of his coaching career. — Percy Allen, The Seattle Times, "Huskies’ magic dries up as North Carolina gives UW another early exit from NCAA tournament," 24 Mar. 2019 John McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain, gave a heartfelt and tearful speech at the memorial service for her father at Washington National Cathedral this morning. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "Read the Full Transcript of Meghan McCain's Eulogy for Her Father John McCain," 1 Sep. 2018 Kelly Clarkson, the host of this year's Billboard Music Awards, opened the show with a tearful message about the recent shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas. — Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, "Kelly Clarkson Address Santa Fe Shooting at 2018 Billboard Music Awards: 'I'm Sick of Moments of Silence'," 20 May 2018 At Simons’s emotional final show for Jil Sander during the Fall 2012 season, the designer emerged from backstage for a tearful bow as the audience rose for a standing ovation. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "Raf Simons Has a Peculiar Runway Show Habit—Have You Noticed It?," 16 Jan. 2019 This show of emotion, in turn, made Gaga at first verklempt and then fully tearful. — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, "Lady Gaga Had a Sally Field “You Like Me” Moment at the Toronto Film Festival," 11 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tearful.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.