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Synonyms

tears

British  
/ tɪəz /

plural noun

  1. the clear salty solution secreted by the lacrimal glands that lubricates and cleanses the surface of the eyeball and inner surface of the eyelids

  2. a state of intense frustration (esp in the phrase bored to tears )

  3. weeping

  4. presented so as to be easily assimilated

    reading without tears
"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
tears Idioms  

  1. see bore to death (tears); burst into (tears); crocodile tears. Also see under tear.

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.

The performance left her in tears, with her coach Eteri Tutberidze later telling her on live television: "Why did you let everything go like that?"

From Barron's

"This is probably the biggest sporting success I have ever had and the most special feeling," aid the winner, after shedding a few tears.

From Barron's

To his shame, furious tears were rising in his eyes; he forced himself to push them down again.

From Literature

The simple kindness brings tears to the corners of my eyes.

From Literature

Fighting back tears, the retired teacher explains that he only survives thanks to the money his relatives send from abroad.

From BBC

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.