1 tearjerker | Definition of tearjerker

tearjerker

noun
tear·​jerk·​er | \ ˈtir-ËŒjÉ™r-kÉ™r How to pronounce tearjerker (audio) \

Definition of tearjerker

: a story, song, play, film, or broadcast that moves or is intended to move its audience to tears

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Other Words from tearjerker

tear-jerking \ ˈtir-​ËŒjÉ™r-​kiÅ‹ How to pronounce tear-jerking (audio) \ adjective

Examples of tearjerker in a Sentence

I'm not in the mood to see a tearjerker. Let's watch something funny instead.

Recent Examples on the Web

The last quarter of the book is devoted to lists of books by subject: funny, tearjerkers, great girl or boy characters, kindness and empathy, and self-acceptance and identity, among others. Wendy Fawthrop, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Two pros aim to make reading fun for kids in ‘How to Raise a Reader’," 30 Aug. 2019 Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon were Heathcliff and Cathy in William Wyler's lush adaptation of Emily Bronte's novel, the standard against which all tearjerkers are measured. Brian Lowry, CNN, "Essential movies of the 1930s and '40s, from 'King Kong' to 'The Heiress'," 15 Aug. 2019 The season 4 finale of Outlander on Starz was a category 4 tearjerker: Young Ian gave himself up to the Mohawk to free a depleted Roger, while Brianna gave birth to a son who may or may not be Roger’s baby. Lynette Rice, EW.com, "Outlander: Why Jamie and Claire weren't present for their grandson's birth in season 4," 24 June 2019 With their emotionally taxing plots and weepy protagonists, tearjerkers (whether movies or TV shows) have the ability to unlock even the most ironclad tear ducts. Glamour, "The Biggest Tearjerkers Streaming on Netflix for When You Just Need a Good Cry," 28 Mar. 2017 Less important but still worthwhile for some, those who purchase a ticket will also receive one of a limited number of Avengers art showcasing the Iron Infinity Gauntlet and that tearjerker quote. Nick Romano, EW.com, "Spider-Man: Far From Home," 25 June 2019 Compare it to, say, Toy Story 3: a real tearjerker, but one where the movie’s adventure story (about escaping a day care center) has next-to-nothing to do with its themes about mortality and aging. Emily Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "Toy Story 2 is the best Toy Story," 21 June 2019 Legend’s portion builds off of Common’s, culminating in a poignant tearjerker. Marisa Polansky And Kristine Keller, Vogue, "A Helpful Guide to Nailing Your Oscars Acceptance Speech," 24 Feb. 2019 People Don't be fooled, Judd Apatow’s Seth Rogen—and Adam Sandler—starring film is definitely more of a tearjerker than a laugh-out-loud comedy. Vogue, "13 Movies You Totally Forgot Were Set on Thanksgiving," 22 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tearjerker.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of tearjerker

1912, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for tearjerker

tearjerker

noun

English Language Learners Definition of tearjerker

informal : a story, song, movie, etc., that makes you cry or feel very sad

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Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with tearjerker