tearjerker
noun
a story, play, movie, or the like that is sentimental or sad enough to evoke pangs of emotion to the point of tears.
tearjerkers
-
pluralof tearjerker.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
Death scenes meant to be tearjerkers seem hokey instead; the tension surrounding the prospect of love leading to death never feels genuine; and the jokes are terrible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
If you're looking for a couple straight-up tearjerkers, I've got you covered: "Marriage Story," "About Time" and "Carol" all show some of the heavier sides of love.
From Salon ● Feb. 6, 2021
He’s always been a gearhead, devoted to celluloid and sprocket holes, but his best movies are also sentimental as hell—big, sloppy tearjerkers wrapped inside clockwork thrillers.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2020
“Wonder” and “Wonderstruck” were easily confused, both being family-friendly tearjerkers, but no one was going to forget one of the best-selling, most satisfying movies of the year: “Wonder Woman.”
From Washington Post ● Mar. 1, 2018
In “Mostly Sondheim,” her critically acclaimed revue of songs by the composer, the singer interspersed his own compositions with numbers he admires - everything from Harold Arlen tearjerkers to the earthy, jazz-flecked “Hard-Hearted Hannah.”
From Washington Times ● Aug. 8, 2017
