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
Valle, now 20, was tearful during an emotional reaction to the verdict.
—
Audrey Conklin , Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025
Finance minister Rachel Reeves became tearful in front of the entire nation on Wednesday, almost exactly a year after Labour took office with a huge majority in parliament.
—Oliver Eagleton, Time, 5 July 2025
The girls who made it onto the school buses arrived at Ingram Elementary, where they were reunited in tearful embraces.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 13 July 2025
Click on the video below to see a tearful stepdad surprised by his stepson's big reveal!
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tearful
Audrey Conklin , Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025
Finance minister Rachel Reeves became tearful in front of the entire nation on Wednesday, almost exactly a year after Labour took office with a huge majority in parliament.
—Oliver Eagleton, Time, 5 July 2025
The girls who made it onto the school buses arrived at Ingram Elementary, where they were reunited in tearful embraces.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 13 July 2025
Click on the video below to see a tearful stepdad surprised by his stepson's big reveal!
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tearful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearful
Adjective
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Low glutamine levels have been linked to depression, muscle loss, and physical and emotional fatigue.25 What depletes glutamine levels?—
Lindsey DeSoto,
Health,
15 July 2025
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Other images show O'Neal looking visibly emotional during the ceremony and sharing a sweet hug with the bride.—
Erin Clack,
People.com,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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The sad reality is that Lucky really hasn't had all that much luck in his life to date.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
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Collins, who has previously celebrated the unique pleasures of the early dinner, finds something to like about lunch in all its guises—the power lunch, the liquid lunch, even the sad desk lunch.—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
25 July 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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For women, the situation is even more depressing with 90% of women excluded from the workforce, unable to work outside their homes.—
Natasha Lindstaedt,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025
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And blame can be depressing; accepting responsibility for something that went terribly wrong is often painful and embarrassing.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Phoenix assumes a pathetic and quietly arrogant demeanor as Joe, who speaks in a squeaky, exasperated cadence.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
17 July 2025
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Enter Flores, who was hired shortly after that pathetic performance.—
Steve Silverman,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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All ended with teary words from Shaiman and Wittman.—
Dave Quinn,
People.com,
24 June 2025
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Our tester found the liner glided on effortlessly and was seriously impressed by its staying power, even with her perpetually teary eyes.—
Angela Trakoshis,
Allure,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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Joining in the festivities is outgoing French student Chloé (Cécile Matignon, hugely appealing), ostensibly in a relationship but flirting brazenly with Nicolau, who even after a few beers is too mournful to pick up the signals.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
10 July 2025
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The mournful cries of nearby Slow-Lows draw attention from other infected in the area, who plant themselves along the top of a picturesque hill waiting for the Alpha’s signal to attack.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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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
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White’s film was already one of the year’s best documentaries, the kind of film that made this critic and writer cry within its first five minutes, but never feels cheesy or manipulative or weepy for the hell of it.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearful. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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