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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tearful
The Hogan family feud made headlines earlier this year, particularly when Brooke’s mom Linda posted a tearful video about Brooke going no-contact and accused her daughter of abuse.
—
Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 30 July 2025
Thousands of emotional fans lined the streets of Ozzy Osbourne's home city of Birmingham in the United Kingdom on Wednesday to bid a tearful farewell to the Black Sabbath frontman at his funeral procession.
—News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025
An undocumented father of three Marines who was forcibly detained by federal immigration agents while at his landscaping job in California last month spoke out for the first time on Friday in emotional, tearful remarks.
—Ely Brown, ABC News, 25 July 2025
The cast also took turns sharing special stories from their time in the show, which ranged from silly off-stage antics to tearful anecdotes.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tearful
Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 30 July 2025
Thousands of emotional fans lined the streets of Ozzy Osbourne's home city of Birmingham in the United Kingdom on Wednesday to bid a tearful farewell to the Black Sabbath frontman at his funeral procession.
—News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025
An undocumented father of three Marines who was forcibly detained by federal immigration agents while at his landscaping job in California last month spoke out for the first time on Friday in emotional, tearful remarks.
—Ely Brown, ABC News, 25 July 2025
The cast also took turns sharing special stories from their time in the show, which ranged from silly off-stage antics to tearful anecdotes.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tearful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearful
Adjective
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Through back-and-forth-through-time storytelling, the film centers on Ryota’s emotional journey of honoring his late brother Sota’s legacy and overcoming his own pain to help elevate the team.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Turner’s music perfectly evokes on an emotional level the sentiment of the film, the essence of a place and people that only exist in the past, Aljafari adds.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Charlotte Lawrence loves a good, gut-wrenching, sad song.—
Leah Lu,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
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Unfortunately, between the time of the taping and the show release, sad news came to Mike Kimmel’s team.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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Gambling today, however, is a sad and depressing experience, nothing like my dad’s and my Atlantic City adventure.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Aug. 2025
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And yet, somehow, the most depressing show on TV—with the exception of any news broadcast, at least—is a reality soap about bougie couples in the suburbs of Los Angeles.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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What’s more pathetic than those who keep selling that myth?—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Aug. 2025
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Kamala has lied for years about their pathetic job growth, which has never been real.—
Meg Kinnard,
Fortune,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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All the conceits of a true-crime film are there – the lead detective interviews, shaky images from police-cams, the salacious headlines, the nauseating crime scene photos, the TV news reports, teary interviews with friends and family.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 Aug. 2025
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What’s more, the brand assures those with sensitive eyes that the sunscreen won’t cause that burning, teary sensation some other formulas cause.—
Jenny Berg,
Allure,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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Just over two weeks after the death of his father, Ozzy Osbourne, the metal legend’s youngest child, Jack Osbourne, shared a mournful tribute on Instagram.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
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Ortega’s deadpan remains impeccable and her mournful gaze allows for viewer projection that goes beyond anything on the page, but Wednesday too often comes across as a piece of an ensemble at this point.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In the final moments of the panel, Lionsgate showed off 20 minutes of footage which started with a weepy Ms. Garraty (Greer) sending off her son, Raymond (Hoffman), reminding him pack his favorite chocolate snacks.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
25 July 2025
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This combination delivers so much more feeling than a hardened (or weepy) version of death ever could.—
Matthew Clark Davison,
Literary Hub,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearful. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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