tearful

adjective

tear·ful | \ ˈtir-fəl

How to pronounce tearful (audio)

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Definition of tearful

1 : flowing with or accompanied by tears tearful entreaties

2 : causing tears : teary a tearful eulogy

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Synonyms for tearful

Synonyms

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 The issue sparked passionate, sometimes tearful, debate on Friday before the bill passed on a 74-44 vote, with nearly all Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed. — Brendan Farrington, sun-sentinel.com, "Florida House OKs bill to ban abortions based on disability," 26 Apr. 2021 Looks of tearful pride beamed across their faces when Kaluuya’s name was announced. — Aida Ylanan, Los Angeles Times, "Wait, what? Why Daniel Kaluuya’s Oscars speech thanked his parents for having sex," 25 Apr. 2021 De Bruyne was among the City players to comfort a tearful Son Heung-min, who was also part of the Tottenham side that lost the 2019 Champions League final. — Rob Harris, Star Tribune, "Man City beats Tottenham 1-0 to win 4th straight League Cup," 25 Apr. 2021 De Bruyne was among the City players to comfort a tearful Son Heung-min, who was also part of the Tottenham side that lost the 2019 Champions League final. — Rob Harris, ajc, "Man City beats Tottenham 1-0 to win 4th straight League Cup," 25 Apr. 2021 After tearful pleas from her mother, who accompanied her daughter to Lebanon to meet his family, the couple instead moved to Dubai. — Faith Karimi, CNN, "What '90 Day Fiance' teaches us about love -- and the US visa process," 24 Apr. 2021 The case was grueling, with prosecutors calling up a parade of tearful bystanders, disapproving police officers and blunt-speaking medical experts since testimony began three weeks ago. — Mark Berman, Anchorage Daily News, "Analysis: How Derek Chauvin became the rare police officer convicted of murder," 21 Apr. 2021 Family members gathered at a nearby hotel to await word on loved ones — and some employees were bused there for tearful reunions. — Casey Smith, Chron, "Police: 8 dead in shooting at FedEx facility in Indianapolis," 16 Apr. 2021 For a week, civilians offered tearful testimony in the Chauvin trial. — Washington Post, "In trial testimony, Chauvin is cast beyond the blue wall," 6 Apr. 2021

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.

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Last Updated

30 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tearful. Accessed 6 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for tearful

tearful

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of tearful

: filled with tears

: happening with tears

See the full definition for tearful in the English Language Learners Dictionary

tearful

adjective

tear·ful | \ ˈtir-fəl

\

Kids Definition of tearful

: flowing with, accompanied by, or causing tears a tearful goodbye

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