weep

verb

ˈwēp 

wept 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

Synonyms of weep

• drip
• bleed
• seep
• flow
• sweat
• exude
• ooze
• percolate

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 on the Web

After winning the Grammy for best contemporary country album in February, Jelly Roll emotionally dedicated the trophy to Bunnie, who wept and applauded in the audience. —Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 19 June 2026

In a joint confessional, Zac also wept over his tense relationship with the Plaths, especially Lydia’s brothers. —Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026

During years of futility, fans have wept collectively both figuratively and literally. —Shaheem Reid, Variety, 16 June 2026

Specialist teams came to retrieve the body and decontaminate the roadside, while his family members stood around and wept. —Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 15 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing weep

• weep hole

Rhymes for weep

• beep
• cheap
• creep
• deep
• heap
• jeep
• keep
• leap
• peep
• reap
• seep
• sheep

Kids Definition

weep

verb

ˈwēp 

wept ˈwept  ; weeping

1

: to show emotion and especially sorrow by shedding tears : cry

2

: to give off liquid slowly or in drops : ooze

a tree weeping sap

weeper noun

Medical Definition

weep

verb

ˈwēp 

wept 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