1
: flowing with or accompanied by tears
tearful entreaties
2
: causing tears : teary
a tearful eulogy
tearfulness
noun
Examples of tearful in a Sentence
He looked up at me with his tearful eyes and asked for help.
the tearful parting of two lovers
Recent Examples on the Web
Highlights from the season included Amy Poehler and Tina Fey reuniting to play Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem, respectively; Jack Black being inducted into the five-timers club; and Bowen Yang saying goodbye on his final show with a tearful, meta sketch about leaving a job.
—
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 17 May 2026
Mann underwent five days of fraught, often tearful testimony that included hours of questioning at a time.
—ABC News, 15 May 2026
Asking the judge for the most severe sentence, Richins-Benson said in tearful remarks that Richins had prohibited her three sons from communicating with her husband's family for 15 months after his death.
—Melissa Gaffney, CBS News, 13 May 2026
The masked thugs deposit a tearful middle-aged woman in front of Bass, Newsom, and Harris.
—Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tearful
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Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 17 May 2026
Mann underwent five days of fraught, often tearful testimony that included hours of questioning at a time.
—ABC News, 15 May 2026
Asking the judge for the most severe sentence, Richins-Benson said in tearful remarks that Richins had prohibited her three sons from communicating with her husband's family for 15 months after his death.
—Melissa Gaffney, CBS News, 13 May 2026
The masked thugs deposit a tearful middle-aged woman in front of Bass, Newsom, and Harris.
—Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tearful
Cite this Entry
“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tearful. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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