tears
Britishplural noun
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the clear salty solution secreted by the lacrimal glands that lubricates and cleanses the surface of the eyeball and inner surface of the eyelids
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a state of intense frustration (esp in the phrase bored to tears )
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weeping
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presented so as to be easily assimilated
reading without tears
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.
"It's infuriating," said Fillol, who has slept at the protest camp, fighting back tears as she discussed the legislative defeat.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Botterill laughed: "I almost cried big girl tears... I'm going to get it tattooed across my chest!"
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
As my nieces and nephews grew up, I had all the fun moments and none of the tedious ones: Yes to presents; no to homework, discipline and tears.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
ACL tears are particularly common in sports such as soccer, basketball and skiing, where athletes frequently pivot, stop abruptly or jump.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
The thought of Tansy having a look at my orthography brought me near tears.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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.
