tearful

[ teer-fuhl ]

adjective

1. full of tears; tear; weeping.
2. causing tears: tear:

   the tearful story of his poverty.

tearful

/ ˈtɪəfʊl /

adjective

1. about to cry
2. accompanying or indicative of weeping

   a tearful expression

3. tending to produce tears; sad

Derived Forms

• ˈtearfully, adverb
• ˈtearfulness, noun

Other Words From

• tearful·ly adverb
• tearful·ness noun
• half-tearful adjective
• half-tearful·ly adverb
• half-tearful·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tearful¹

First recorded in 1580–90; tear ¹ + -ful

Example Sentences

Chloe Fineman called out Elon Musk, alleging that she had a tearful experience with the businessman.

From Salon

In a tearful interview with presenter Janette Manrara, Dowden added that she was "heartbroken" about the decision.

From BBC

Harris campaign officials were silent in the early Wednesday hours while some aides expressed tearful shock over what was expected to be a much closer race.

From BBC

Two years later, Monica Rivera, the only eyewitness to the crime, recanted in a tearful phone call with Duran’s family.

From Los Angeles Times

She gave a tearful speech days after the raid, saying: “I want to be crystal clear. I have done nothing wrong. I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me.”

From Los Angeles Times