Word Adjective
tearful
adj.
B1 Intermediate US /ˈtɪɹfəɫ/ UK /tˈiəfəl/ tear·ful
Definition
adj.feeling or showing strong sadness, often with tears. You use this to describe someone who is crying or a situation that makes you feel very emotional.
adj.characterised by or resulting in the shedding of tears; expressing or causing intense emotion, typically sadness.
Examples
“She gave a tearful goodbye to her friends.”
“The tearful reunion between the two brothers after years of silence was a moving moment for everyone at the party.”
“The documentary's tearful portrayal of the family's struggle to rebuild their lives after the flood left many viewers in a state of quiet reflection.”
Etymology
From tear + -ful.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
This entry
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated