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Tearful Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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tearful

[หˆtษชษ™fสŠl ]

Definitions

Context #1 | Adjective

feeling emotions

Feeling or showing sadness, often with tears in the eyes.

Synonyms

sad, sorrowful, weepy.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
tearful

Use when someone is close to crying or has tears in their eyes.

  • She gave a tearful goodbye to her friends.
  • He had a tearful look on his face.
sad

Use for a general feeling of unhappiness or depression.

  • He felt sad after hearing the bad news.
  • The movie had a sad ending.
sorrowful

Use in formal contexts to convey deep sadness or grief.

  • The sorrowful expression on her face was hard to ignore.
  • He wrote a sorrowful poem about loss and regret.
weepy

Use informally to describe someone who is prone to crying easily.

  • She gets weepy every time she watches that movie.
  • Feeling a bit weepy today?

Examples of usage

  • She gave a tearful farewell to her best friend.
  • The movie's ending was so emotional that it left the audience tearful.
Context #2 | Adjective

causing tears

Causing or likely to cause tears; sad or emotional.

Synonyms

emotional, heartbreaking, sad.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
tearful

This word is often used to describe someone who is on the verge of crying or already crying. It suggests visible tears and strong emotions.

  • She gave a tearful goodbye at the airport
  • His tearful eyes told the story of his heartbreak
emotional

This word is broader and can refer to any strong feelings, whether they are happy, sad, angry, or otherwise. It is often used in situations where there are significant feelings involved.

  • The movie was so emotional that I cried multiple times
  • He gave an emotional speech at his retirement party
heartbreaking

This word is typically used to describe situations or events that cause deep sadness and grief. It often implies a sense of despair and is usually negative.

  • The news of the accident was absolutely heartbreaking
  • Watching the video of the orphaned animals was a heartbreaking experience
sad

This is a general term used to describe a feeling of sorrow or unhappiness. It is appropriate for a wide range of situations, from mild disappointment to deep grief.

  • I felt sad after hearing about the layoffs at work
  • She looked sad when she talked about her childhood

Examples of usage

  • The tearful scene in the movie made everyone in the cinema cry.
  • His tearful apology touched her heart.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Interesting Facts

Literature

  • Tearful expressions are often found in poetry to evoke empathy and connect with readersโ€™ emotions.
  • Many classic works of literature, such as Shakespeare's tragedies, highlight tearful moments to deepen character development.
  • In children's stories, tearful characters teach valuable lessons about feelings and the importance of expressing emotions.

Psychology

  • Crying is a natural response to emotions and helps in emotional regulation and stress relief.
  • Research indicates that tears can contain stress hormones, suggesting crying may help the body cope with overwhelming feelings.
  • Psychologists believe showing vulnerability through tears can strengthen social bonds and foster support from others.

Film and Media

  • In movies, tearful scenes are crafted to elicit empathy from the audience, making narratives more impactful.
  • The use of tearful moments is a common tool in advertising to create emotional connections with products.
  • Award-winning films often have key tearful scenes that contribute to their critical acclaim and audience engagement.

Cultural Perspectives

  • In many cultures, being tearful is considered a sign of strength, as it signifies being in touch with one's emotions.
  • While some societies encourage emotional expression, others may view tearfulness as a sign of weakness, leading to cultural differences in handling emotions.
  • Tears are symbolically important across different cultures, often linked to rituals of mourning or joy during celebrations.

Origin of 'tearful'

Main points about word origin

  • The word comes from the Old English 'tฤ“ar', meaning 'tear' or 'to weep'.
  • Its use in the English language dates back to the early 14th century, evolving to describe someone who is crying.
  • Over time, the term has become associated with emotional moments in literature and film.

The word 'tearful' originated from the Old English word 'tear' which means a drop of clear salty liquid secreted by glands in a person's eye when they cry. The suffix '-ful' is added to form an adjective meaning full of tears or causing tears. The word has been used in the English language for centuries to describe the state of being emotional or causing tears.

See also: tear, teardrop, tearjerker, tears.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #20,969, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.