tearful

adjective

tear·​ful ˈtir-fəl How to pronounce tearful (audio)
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.
Joe played it, hearing his tearful wife speak of how the Vines mess dredged up, yet again, so much of the pain of losing their son. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 27 Apr. 2025 On May 10, 2008, country music legend Randy Travis inducted a tearful Underwood into the famed Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2025 Many will remember a tearful Giyasov talking about his daughter who recently passed away during his post-fight interview after his win over Ocampo. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025 Ring noted the video of Read talking about O’Keefe’s mother was shown on Wednesday shortly after Peggy O’Keefe gave tearful testimony about learning about her son’s death. Michael Loria, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025 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 5 May. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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