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
In a tearful message to the court, Heredia, a husband and father to two young children, expressed remorse and asked the Lansdell family for forgiveness.
—
Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Nov. 2024
Phylicia Keen also expressed tearful gratitude for the firefighters' rescue efforts, KDFW reported.
—Kyle Schmidbauer, Fox News, 11 Nov. 2024
The Weeknd previously recalled the moment during a tearful acceptance speech for the Black Music Action Coalition’s inaugural Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award in 2021.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
Johnson stopped the song, put down the guitar and scooped up his family for a tearful group hug, which was quickly followed by a firm decision.
—Nancy Kruh, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tearful 
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.
Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Nov. 2024
Phylicia Keen also expressed tearful gratitude for the firefighters' rescue efforts, KDFW reported.
—Kyle Schmidbauer, Fox News, 11 Nov. 2024
The Weeknd previously recalled the moment during a tearful acceptance speech for the Black Music Action Coalition’s inaugural Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award in 2021.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
Johnson stopped the song, put down the guitar and scooped up his family for a tearful group hug, which was quickly followed by a firm decision.
—Nancy Kruh, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tearful
Dictionary Entries Near tearful
Cite this Entry
“Tearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tearful. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share