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Synonyms

tearful

American  
[teer-fuhl] / ˈtɪər fəl /

adjective

  1. full of tears; tear; weeping.

  2. causing tears: tear.

    the tearful story of his poverty.


tearful British  
/ ˈtɪəfʊl /

adjective

  1. about to cry

  2. accompanying or indicative of weeping

    a tearful expression

  3. tending to produce tears; sad

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • half-tearful adjective
  • half-tearfully adverb
  • half-tearfulness noun
  • tearfully adverb
  • tearfulness noun

Etymology

Origin of tearful

First recorded in 1580–90; tear 1 + -ful

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.

When Everton said a tearful farewell to their atmospheric Goodison Park home after 133 years in the summer, hopes were high that Hill Dickinson Stadium could become the fortress fans dreamed of.

From BBC

Frightened people jostled their way on, leaving tearful goodbyes on the platform with those staying to fight.

From BBC

He cracks jokes during his hospital stays, but in between you get a front-row look at how tiring, tearful and emotionally devastating his illness can be.

From Los Angeles Times

Co-founder and CEO Jenny Goodman said she received an all-caps message with a smiling, tearful emoji from her director of operations after the ruling.

From The Wall Street Journal

"I was tearful all the time," she said.

From BBC