1
as in emotional
given to expressing strong emotion (as sorrow) by readily shedding tears
a tearful woman who can be counted on to cry at every wedding, anniversary, and funeral
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
causing unhappiness
the tearful end to what had once been a close friendship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tearful
But the shelter managed to capture a very sweet, and tearful, moment between the 6-month-old sisters on camera.
—
Tj MacIas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2025
On many nights, Tamara would find her grandmother hunched over the kitchen table, poring over trial transcripts in which Erik and Lyle delivered hours of tearful and stomach-churning accounts of beatings, verbal lashings and rape.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
After a tearful embrace with Billie, Alex decides to sacrifice herself.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
Combs addressed the packed courtroom nearly five hours into a lengthy proceeding that featured impassioned legal arguments and tearful pleas for leniency from six of the hip-hop mogul’s children.
—Adam Reiss, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tearful
Tj MacIas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2025
On many nights, Tamara would find her grandmother hunched over the kitchen table, poring over trial transcripts in which Erik and Lyle delivered hours of tearful and stomach-churning accounts of beatings, verbal lashings and rape.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
After a tearful embrace with Billie, Alex decides to sacrifice herself.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
Combs addressed the packed courtroom nearly five hours into a lengthy proceeding that featured impassioned legal arguments and tearful pleas for leniency from six of the hip-hop mogul’s children.
—Adam Reiss, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tearful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearful
Adjective
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Shouts for it will be met by angry fingers jutted towards the various gaffes played ad nauseam on Sky Sports’ weekly Ref Watch, or the mandatory pause before the emotional unleashing as VAR mulls over whether a goal is a goal or just a hoax.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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But del Toro expands the emotional spectrum with forgiveness.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Everyone's a little sad in The Holdovers, Alexander Payne's charmingly sour comedy about a student stuck at his New England boarding school over the holidays with only his grouchy professor (Paul Giamatti) and the school cook (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) for company.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
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The 25-year-old wide receiver is sad to see his teammates go, but trusts the vision of the New York front office.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
-
The Green Bay Packers suffered a brutal injury blow during their depressing Week 9 loss against the Carolina Panthers at home.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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Soon, the entire room was awash with clippings, each detailing a different duplicitous scheme — a depressing reflection of how scam culture was taking over my country, eroding our trust in each other.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But his crying scene in Ford v Ferrari is one for the ages.—
Michael Granberry,
Dallas News,
17 Jan. 2020
Adjective
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Enter Claude Whelan, played by James Callis, a fine actor with a face that can contort itself into about a dozen different versions of misery and pathetic dismay.—
Brian Grubb,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
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Ratcheting up the pressure on the pathetic Putin will be the only way this war ends.—
Chicago Tribune,
Twin Cities,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Emerald says to the teary client about her fashion — a line that could be the show’s entire thesis.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
4 Nov. 2025
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Hadid's marital bliss proved to be emotional for Gigi, who could be spotted dabbing her teary eyes in one photo from the ceremony.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Fitzgerald's final moments shrouded in mystery, Lightfoot's mournful song, the number of lives lost, and the size of the ship alone led her to quickly become the most famous shipwreck in Michigan.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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The zebras pranced, all frisky energy; the elephants, lumbering and mournful, trailed behind with their ancient thoughts.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearful. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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