tearful

adjective

tear·​ful ˈtir-fəl How to pronounce tearful (audio)
Synonyms of tearfulnext
1
: flowing with or accompanied by tears
tearful entreaties
2
: causing tears : teary
a tearful eulogy
tearfully adverb
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His tone was more direct than the emotional, sometimes tearful plea read by his sisters Savannah and Annie the previous evening. Sarah Lapidus, AZCentral.com, 7 Feb. 2026 Savannah and her family also released a tearful video pleading for Nancy's return. Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026 Hours after Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron Guthrie, made a tearful plea to Nancy's potential abductor, Camron had another message. Christina Perrier, InStyle, 6 Feb. 2026 Another tearful call after the news broke went to Dawn Gonzalez from her daughter Carmen Gonzalez, a jumper for the team. Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tearful

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tearful was circa 1586

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tearful. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

tearful

adjective
tear·​ful ˈti(ə)r-fəl How to pronounce tearful (audio)
: flowing with, accompanied by, or causing tears
tearfully adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tearful

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