tearful

adjective

ˈtir-fəl How to pronounce tearful (audio)
Definition of tearfulnext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tearful Though Ali, Jackson Olson, Connor Wood, and Tyler Cameron tied for last, no one was sent home in an uplifting twist at the end of the tearful episode. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Oct. 2026 As father to both a toddler and an infant, the din of tearful wailing — theirs, not mine (usually) — is the soundtrack to approximately half of all car journeys. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 Sparks promises surprises from the tour, but don’t expect a tearful tribute for Finch like the one that took place at one of their warm-up shows in San Diego. — Courtney Devores, Charlotte Observer, 16 Oct. 2026 Sixteen sets of eyes stared up at her from the rug as children strained to get a look at the tearful raccoon. — Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tearful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearful
  1. emotional
  2. sad
  3. weeping
  4. depressing
  5. crying
  6. pathetic
  7. teary
  8. mournful
Adjective
  • The shift is tied to broader wellness behavior, with younger consumers folding emotional well-being into daily self-care.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Nov. 2026
  • But his wartime service comes at an emotional price as Stewart becomes tormented by the loss of many of the men under his command and must tackle the duty of writing condolence letters to their families.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of emotional
Adjective
  • Anyway, this Jive is unfortunately lacking in both energy and sharp footwork and is generally kind of sad, but Maura and Mark still manage to get 8s.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The company’s intention is probably to leverage nostalgia to build hype for Nintendo’s big launch, but there’s also something a little sad about this.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of sad
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
Definition of weeping
Adjective
  • The Ruhr Valley, in contrast, might be Europe’s vastest, most depressing suburb.
    — Kristian Vistrup Madsen, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The Mongolian restaurant is in the city center, dingy and depressing.
    — Aube Rey Lescure, Longreads, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • Some in the pro-crying camp pointed to articles and headlines as proof.
    — Jon Sarlin, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of crying
Adjective
  • In fact, the only previous cinematic encounter was the unfortunate 2003 live-action version with Mike Myers that flopped critically and at the box office, winning a pathetic 10 Razzie nominations as one of the worst pictures of that year.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Simply pathetic, but, MY LIONS stay close in the NFC North race and sets up what should be one of the biggest Thanksgiving Day games in Lions history when the Bears come to town on November 26.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of pathetic
Adjective
  • Busch wasn’t in the teary crowd at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday night.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Watts became teary at this point in the conversation, earning a raucous round of applause from the crowd.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of teary
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, the disembodied feet on my aunt’s staircase were my last spectral sighting and the mournful whistling was my last haunting.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The One About Matthew Perry, a three-part docuseries, out October 27 on Netflix, is more of a celebration of celebrate Perry’s life instead of a mournful tribute or true crime drama about his death and the headline-making trial that followed.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of mournful

Browse Nearby Words

teardrops
tearful
tearing
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Cite this Entry

“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearful. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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