tear-stained
Americanadjective
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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.
Watkins bowed her head on the table to hide her own tear-stained cheeks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2024
It's notable that, when men do discuss those bonds, it's almost always too late: Diddy's I'll Be Missing You is a tear-stained tribute to the rapper Notorious B.I.G.;
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 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 hear her slide the lock out of the way, and the door swings open to reveal a puffy, tear-stained Fuchsia.
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
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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.