tear-stained

[ teer-steynd ]

adjective

1. marked or wet with tears:

   a tear-stained letter.

2. showing traces of tears or signs of having wept:

   tear-stained cheeks.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tear-stained¹

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

His face was tear-stained and his eyes swollen in the postrace news conference, but O’Ward was stoic.

From Seattle Times

I woke up with a sweaty forehead and tear-stained cheeks.

From Literature

Watkins bowed her head on the table to hide her own tear-stained cheeks.

From Los Angeles Times

His album “Come On Joe,” released by RCA in 1987, contained four Top 40 country singles, including “No More One More Time,” a lovelorn ballad, and the rollicking “Tear-Stained Letter,” both of which reached the country Top 10 in 1988.

From New York Times

A two-stepping tour de force, Mr. Sonnier’s version of “Tear-Stained Letter” reimagined Mr. Thompson’s hurtling Anglo-Celtic original as a Cajun romp.

From New York Times