weep

¹

[weep]

verb (used without object)

wept, weeping 

1. to express grief, sorrow, or any overpowering emotion by shedding tears; shed tears; cry.

   to weep for joy;

   to weep with rage.

   Synonyms: lament, wail, sob
   Antonyms: rejoice, laugh

2. to let fall drops of water or other liquid; drip; leak.

   The old water tank was weeping at the seams.

3. to exude water or liquid, as soil, a rock, a plant stem, or a sore.

verb (used with object)

wept, weeping 

1. to weep for (someone or something); mourn with tears or other expression of sorrow.

   He wept his dead brother.

   Synonyms: lament, bemoan, bewail

2. to shed (tears); pour forth in weeping.

   to weep tears of gratitude.

3. to let fall or give forth in drops.

   trees weeping an odorous gum.

4. to pass, bring, put, etc., to or into a specified condition with the shedding of tears (usually followed by away, out, etc.).

   to weep one's eyes out;

   to weep oneself to sleep.

noun

1. weeping, or a fit of weeping.

2. the exudation of water or liquid.

weep

²

[weep]

noun

British Dialect.

1. the lapwing, Vanellus vanellus, of Europe.

weep

/ wiːp /

verb

1. to shed (tears) as an expression of grief or unhappiness

2. to utter, shedding tears

3. to mourn or lament (for something)

4. to exude (drops of liquid)

5. (intr) (of a wound, etc) to exude a watery or serous fluid

noun

1. a spell of weeping

Word History and Origins

Origin of weep¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English wepen, Old English wēpan “to wail”; cognate with Gothic wōpjan “to call,” Old Norse æpa “to cry out”

Origin of weep²

Imitative

Word History and Origins

Origin of weep¹

Old English wēpan; related to Gothic wōpjan, Old High German wuofan, Old Slavonic vabiti to call

Example Sentences

Ellis explains that the episode made the cast weep during the table read.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"I was crying, I was weeping, I looked around at other people crying," Scotland fan Hamish Husband told BBC Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live.

Read more on BBC

"I wept non-stop for a whole month. I couldn't eat. All I did was cry. I couldn't stand to walk. And I fell gravely ill."

Read more on BBC

The children carried on at full volume, a cacophony of shouting and taunting and weeping.

Read more on Literature

Then she buried her head under a pillow, from which some sort of unidentifiable, repetitive, smothered sound—weeping? sneezing? giggling?—could be heard.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• break down 
• complain 
• grieve 
• howl 
• moan 
• mourn 
• sob 
• wail 
• whimper