tears
Britishplural noun
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the clear salty solution secreted by the lacrimal glands that lubricates and cleanses the surface of the eyeball and inner surface of the eyelids
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a state of intense frustration (esp in the phrase bored to tears )
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weeping
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presented so as to be easily assimilated
reading without tears
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
David Clayton-Thomas, the lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears whose husky, high-strung tenor on ‘Spinning Wheel’ and ‘And When I Die’ helped propel the band’s popularity in the late 1960s, has died.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026
Tears welled in his eyes as we walked down memory lane, deep into the archives.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
The strait, whose name means Gate of Tears, leads to the Suez Canal and is one of the most important links for ships sailing between Asia and Europe.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Tears streamed from the eyes of Uwde Sliman, a 40-year-old Ethiopian draped in a white shawl, as she came out of the church.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
Tears threaten to spill out again, but I blink them away and nod.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
