lachrymose

American  

[lak-ruh-mohs] / ˈlæk rəˌmoʊs /

adjective

1. suggestive of or tending to cause tears; mournful.

2. given to shedding tears readily; tearful.

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lachrymose British  

/ -ˌməʊz, ˈlækrɪˌməʊs, ˌlækrɪˈmɒsɪtɪ /

adjective

1. given to weeping; tearful

2. mournful; sad

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Other Word Forms

• lachrymosely adverb
• lachrymosity noun

Etymology

Origin of lachrymose

First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin lacrimōsus, equivalent to lacrim(a) “tear” ( lachrymal ) + -ōsus -ose ¹

Example Sentences

In what should be a pivotal scene, “Hamnet” looks much more like a satire of lachrymose Oscar bait than a portrait of the real thing.

From Salon

“I’ve noticed that the TV commercials have gone from lachrymose, piano-dribbling quarantine themes to something more open and optimistic,” writes Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit, the political and culture news site.

From Washington Times

Over dystopian scenes of people being wheeled on gurneys, filling out unemployment-insurance forms and standing in long lines while wearing surgical masks, lachrymose string music plays.

From New York Times

Hence the chart avalanche of glum boys – in the mould of Sheeran and Capaldi – who lack combs or ironing boards but make up for it with a lucrative line in the lachrymose.

From The Guardian

Lebrecht does not dwell on tragedies, and opposes what the great historian Salo Baron called a “lachrymose conception of Jewish history.”

From New York Times