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
Gilbert was tearful while exiting the courtroom after the judge ordered Busfield's release.
—
CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Kotb told the tearful co-hosts.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
Teyana Taylor opened the evening with a spectacular, tearful, best-supporting-actress win.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 12 Jan. 2026
In a night full of pleasant surprises, tearful acceptance speeches and eye-roll-inducing moments, there was still a lot that audiences didn’t see on TV.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tearful
CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Kotb told the tearful co-hosts.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
Teyana Taylor opened the evening with a spectacular, tearful, best-supporting-actress win.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 12 Jan. 2026
In a night full of pleasant surprises, tearful acceptance speeches and eye-roll-inducing moments, there was still a lot that audiences didn’t see on TV.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tearful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearful
Adjective
-
Ethan has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, a condition that can make emotional regulation especially challenging.—
Mayo Clinic News Network,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
-
At her father's sentencing in July 2025, Rhianna Stephens made an emotional appeal for leniency.—
Sarah Prior,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Grifters can be analyzed by affect (jolly, cold, angry, greedy, sad) and/or by gender.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
-
There are no more smiles and no more hand-holding, only two sad adults.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
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
-
Everyone’s unhappiness was so depressing, their eternal discontent!—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Thwarted and truncated directorial careers are among the depressing glories of the art of movies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But his crying scene in Ford v Ferrari is one for the ages.—
Michael Granberry,
Dallas News,
17 Jan. 2020
Adjective
-
Marche feared that ChatGPT-3 meant the end of freshman composition papers, but that’s a pathetic and moribund genre anyhow.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
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While having a decent enough defense, the offense was pathetic.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Paul Thomas Anderson was teary eyed about De Luca after wining Best Director for One Battle After Another.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
11 Jan. 2026
-
The teary eyes were contagious.—
Essence,
Essence,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
McGuire’s goal here is entertainment (achieved) but his empathetic treatment of the indigenous tribes the English come into contact and conflict with gives his novel a mournful air of tragedy.—
Chloe Schama,
Vogue,
24 Jan. 2026
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Adapted from Denis Johnson’s novella, Train Dreams stars Joel Edgerton in an elegiac, mournful portrait of a logger at the turn of the century.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearful. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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