tearful

adjective

tear·​ful ˈtir-fəl How to pronounce tearful (audio)
1
: flowing with or accompanied by tears
tearful entreaties
2
: causing tears : teary
a tearful eulogy
tearfully adverb
tearfulness noun

Examples of tearful in a Sentence

He looked up at me with his tearful eyes and asked for help. the tearful parting of two lovers
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In a tearful message to the court, Heredia, a husband and father to two young children, expressed remorse and asked the Lansdell family for forgiveness. Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Nov. 2024 Phylicia Keen also expressed tearful gratitude for the firefighters' rescue efforts, KDFW reported. Kyle Schmidbauer, Fox News, 11 Nov. 2024 The Weeknd previously recalled the moment during a tearful acceptance speech for the Black Music Action Coalition’s inaugural Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award in 2021. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024 Johnson stopped the song, put down the guitar and scooped up his family for a tearful group hug, which was quickly followed by a firm decision. Nancy Kruh, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tearful 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tearful was circa 1586

Dictionary Entries Near tearful

Cite this Entry

“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tearful. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

tearful

adjective
tear·​ful ˈti(ə)r-fəl How to pronounce tearful (audio)
: flowing with, accompanied by, or causing tears
tearfully adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tearful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!