weep

verb \ ˈwēp \

Definition of weep

wept play \ˈwept\; weeping

transitive verb

1 :to express deep sorrow for usually by shedding tears :bewail

weeping the sins and errors of his youth
—Edward Gibbon

2 :to pour forth (tears) from the eyes

3 :to exude (a fluid) slowly :ooze

a tree weeping sap

intransitive verb

1 :to express passion (such as grief) by shedding tears

2 a :to give off or leak fluid slowly :ooze

b of a fluid :to flow sluggishly or in drops

3 :to droop over :bend

See weep defined for English-language learners

See weep defined for kids

Examples of weep in a Sentence

He wept at the news of her death.
She sat down and wept.
He wept bitter tears of disappointment.
The meringue will weep if you put it in the fridge.

Recent Examples of weep from the Web

Patients often had symptoms that were a signature of this outbreak: weeping genital warts, called condylomata lata; patchy hair loss; and mucosal oozes inside the mouth.

— author: jan hoffman, Alaska Dispatch News, "Hunting a killer in Oklahoma: Sex, drugs and the return of syphilis," 25 Aug. 2017
Patients often had symptoms that were a signature of this outbreak: weeping genital warts, called condylomata lata; patchy hair loss; and mucosal oozes inside the mouth.

— author: jan hoffman, Alaska Dispatch News, "Hunting a killer in Oklahoma: Sex, drugs and the return of syphilis," 25 Aug. 2017
Patients often had symptoms that were a signature of this outbreak: weeping genital warts, called condylomata lata; patchy hair loss; and mucosal oozes inside the mouth.

— jan hoffman, The Seattle Times, "Once thought all but conquered, syphilis has come roaring back," 24 Aug. 2017
His former mosque denounced the deadly attacks and weeping relatives marched into a Ripoll square on Saturday, tearfully denying any knowledge of the radical plans of their sons and brothers.

— joseph wilson and lori hinnant, USA TODAY, "100 gas tanks: Extremists in Spain planned massive attack," 20 Aug. 2017
In 1898, scientists in Uruguay noticed that some of their laboratory rabbits were dying from a mysterious illness, their skin riddled with tumors and weeping wounds.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "The Next Chapter in a Viral Arms Race," 14 Aug. 2017
Corniel’s mother wept inside and outside the courtroom at Moss Justice Center during his sentencing hearing.

— andrew dys, charlotteobserver, "Moms share tearful embrace; Rock Hill carjacker in fatal hit-and-run sent to prison," 10 Aug. 2017
The Adieu Haiku Cutler to the Fish. Helpful for Adam Gase, but... Kevin Burkhardt weeps.

— peter king, SI.com, "Monday Morning QB: Aaron Rodgers Never Wants to Retire (While Jay Cutler Changes His Mind)," 5 Aug. 2017
The detailing alone would make my dad weep: every door hinge, window latch, and knob carved by hand.

— sean hotchkiss, CNT, "Charting Indonesia's Eastern Islands on a Luxury Yacht," 24 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of weep

Middle English wepen, from Old English wēpan; akin to Old High German wuoffan to weep, Serbian & Croatian vapiti to cry out

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

weep Synonyms

Synonyms

bleed, ooze, percolate, seep, strain, sweat, transude, exude

Related Words

dribble, drip, trickle; discharge, emit, give off, vent; emanate, flow, spring

Near Antonyms

flood, gush, pour, stream, surge

WEEP Defined for English Language Learners

weep

verb

Definition of weep for English Language Learners

: to cry because you are very sad or are feeling some other strong emotion
: to produce a liquid slowly

WEEP Defined for Kids

weep

verb \ ˈwēp \

Definition of weep for Students

wept \ˈwept\; weeping

:to shed tears :cry

Medical Dictionary

weep

verb \ ˈwēp \

medical Definition of weep

wept play \ˈwept\; weeping

transitive verb

1 :to pour forth (tears) from the eyes

2 :to exude (a fluid) slowly

intransitive verb

1 :to shed tears

2 :to exude a serous fluid

a weeping burn

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weep

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