ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tears

n. countable
A2 Elementary US //ˈtɛɹz// tears

n. the salty drops of water that come from your eyes when you cry. You might also have them when you are very happy or when your eyes are irritated.

n. the clear, salty liquid secreted by the lacrimal glands to lubricate the eyes or expressed during emotional distress. Plural in form when referring to the visible drops produced during crying.


SIMPLE

She wiped the tears from her face after the movie.

CONTEXTUAL

The child was in tears after falling off his bike, but he stopped crying once his mother arrived.

COMPLEX

The protagonist's eyes filled with tears as he stood on the platform, watching the train pull away and realizing he might never return to his childhood home.

Synonyms
Usage

Almost always used in the plural form when referring to the act of crying; the singular 'tear' refers to one individual drop.

Pitfall

He was in tearHe was in tearsThe idiomatic expression for crying is 'in tears' (plural), not the singular form.

Idioms8 entries

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