tear-stained
Americanadjective
-
marked or wet with tears.
a tear-stained letter.
-
showing traces of tears or signs of having wept.
tear-stained cheeks.
Etymology
Origin of tear-stained
First recorded in 1585–95
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.
But after long, tight hugs and tear-stained cheeks, Chiles left, as her father advised, with her head held high.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2023
He bade farewell to the only club he had known in a tear-stained news conference.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 20, 2022
The scientists’ tear-stained cheeks lit up with reflected light, and the crowd erupted.
From Science Magazine • Sep. 27, 2022
I couldn't bear to lift my gaze and possibly catch another glimpse of Mom's blotchy, tear-stained face with her swollen, now make-up free eyes.
From Salon • Feb. 20, 2022
Picking her up, I brushed the snow from her long, braided hair and her tear-stained face.
From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
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.
