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

tear-jerking

ˈtir-ˌjər-kiŋ 

adjective

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

One of Pixar’s finest tearjerkers, Coco is a vibrant smorgasbord of Mexican culture with phenomenal Oscar-winning music, from powerhouse married composers Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, that celebrates family legacies. —Barry Levitt, Time, 26 June 2025

The tearjerker of a story follows an elderly man (James Garner) living in a nursing home with his wife (Gena Rowlands), who has dementia. —EW.com, 23 May 2025

Even more breathtaking than Williams' entrance, though, was her brief scene beside the bed of Jen's dying grandfather, which would ultimately kick off the first of countless tearjerker moments peppered throughout the series. —Jen Juneau, People.com, 24 May 2025

And with all that coming-of-age angst came plenty of tearjerker moments, from family struggles and sudden tragedies to the bitter lows of young love. —Jen Juneau, People.com, 24 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tearjerker

• caseworker
• coworker
• farmworker
• woodworker
• worker