adj
tearful
TEER-fuul
Tearful (adj) means Crying, or on the verge of crying. Example: “She gave a tearful goodbye at the airport.”
adj
1
Crying, or on the verge of crying.
"She gave a tearful goodbye at the airport."
2
Sad or emotional.
"It was a tearful farewell speech for the retiring headteacher."
How to use tearful
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCrying, close to tears, or deeply emotional.
Common pairings
a tearful reunion
a tearful farewell
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more tearful
- Superlative
- most tearful
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She gave a _____ goodbye at the airport.
Etymology
From tear (the eye-fluid word) plus the suffix "-ful."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for tearful
See all rhymes for 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.
