# weeping

/ˈwipɪŋ/ (US) · /wˈiːpɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/weeping
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. crying

adjective · CEFR B2 · Literary

crying or shedding tears because of sadness.

For teachers: shedding tears as an expression of grief or intense emotion. Often used as a participial adjective before a noun.

- The weeping child sat alone on the bench waiting for his mother.
- The weeping widow was led from the graveside by her relatives, her face obscured by a heavy black veil.

### 2. botany

adjective · CEFR B2

used to describe a tree with long branches that hang down toward the ground.

For teachers: having slender, pendulous branches that hang downward. Frequently used in the common names of specific cultivars.

- We sat in the shade of a large weeping willow near the river.
- The garden was designed around a central weeping cherry tree, whose cascading blossoms created a dramatic focal point each spring.

### 3. medical

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describing a wound or sore that is leaking liquid, such as pus or clear fluid.

For teachers: exuding liquid, such as serum or pus, from a sore, wound, or inflamed area of skin.

- You should clean the weeping sore and cover it with a fresh bandage.
- The patient presented with a weeping eczema rash that had become secondary to a bacterial infection.

### 4. the act of crying

noun · CEFR B2 · Literary

the act of crying or sobbing.

For teachers: the action of shedding tears, typically as a sustained expression of sorrow.

- The sound of weeping could be heard coming from the next room.
- After the news of the disaster broke, the quiet weeping of the survivors was the only sound in the crowded shelter.

## Examples

- The weeping child sat alone on the bench.
- The doctor examined the weeping wound to check for signs of a serious infection.
- In the final scene of the play, the weeping protagonist kneels in the rain, mourning the loss of his family and his former life.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.