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

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

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

Alec Baldwin's Rust manslaughter case dismissed for Brady violation and can't be refiled Baldwin wept and hugged his attorneys in the New Mexico courtroom yesterday when Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against him with prejudice, meaning that it cannot be refiled in the future. —EW.com, 13 July 2024

Baldwin and his wife Hilaria openly wept when the judge announced the case was dismissed. —Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 13 July 2024

Alec Baldwin wept in court as a Santa Fe judge dismissed his involuntary manslaughter case on Friday after a day-long, dramatic and often bizarre hearing over how police and prosecutors treated a handful of bullets. —Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 July 2024

If the berries are mushy or have collapsed spots featuring a lighter colored gooey film or are weeping juice, have visible mold or have a tangy almost-boozy smell — they are spoiled. —Amber Love Bond, Southern Living, 5 July 2024

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

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