tearful
11 synonyms and 4 antonyms for tearful, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Crying, or on the verge of crying.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use tearful
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From tear (the eye-fluid word) plus the suffix "-ful."
Full origin of tearful →Frequently asked questions
What does “tearful” mean?
The word “tearful” means crying, or on the verge of crying. In plain terms, crying, close to tears, or deeply emotional.
How do you pronounce “tearful”?
“Tearful” is pronounced TEER-fuul (/ˈtɪɹfʊl/ in IPA).
How do you use “tearful” in a sentence?
Here is “tearful” used in a sentence: “She gave a tearful goodbye at the airport.”
What is another word for “tearful”?
Words with a similar meaning to “tearful” include cryey, crysome, lachrymate, lachrymose, larmoyant and maudlin.
What is the opposite of “tearful”?
The opposite of “tearful” — its antonyms — are dry-eyed, tearless, unlachrymose and untearful.
What part of speech is “tearful”?
“Tearful” is an adjective.
How many meanings does “tearful” have?
“Tearful” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: crying, or on the verge of crying.