lachrymose

adjective

lach·ry·mose ˈla-krə-ˌm�?s

Synonyms of lachrymose next

: given to tears or weeping : tearful

tended to become lachrymose when he was drunk

: tending to cause tears : mournful

a lachrymose drama

lachrymosely adverb

lachrymosity

ˌla-krə-ˈmä-sə-tē

noun

Did you know?

The misty-eyed souls among us will appreciate lachrymose, a word that can describe a person who tends to cry often, or an emotional trigger that induces tears. Those more stoic in disposition might be moved (though not to tears) to learn that lachrymose also has a scientific counterpart: its older cousin lachrymal can mean “of, relating to, or marked by tears,�? or (usually with the alternative spelling lacrimal) “of, relating to, or being glands that produce tears.�? Both lachrymose and lachrymal come from the Latin noun lacrima, meaning “tear.�?

Examples of lachrymose in a Sentence

a drama with a lachrymose hero the more lachrymose mourners at the funeral required a steady supply of tissues

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Several days after this lachrymose dinner, a carnival-level event delighted Angelenos of either political persuasion. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024 Puccini later inserted a different, more lachrymose text, one that forecasts her suicide. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023 However, Christian Nodal’s intoxicating voice soars high; and his latest EP, México en Mi Voz, is a lachrymose affair. —Leila Cobo, Billboard, 15 Sep. 2023 More often, though, the constant backdrop of mortality gives a lachrymose tinge to each of the characters’ intermittent outbursts. —Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 12 June 2024 And all of this is somehow glommed on to the lachrymose story of a grieving parent and a dying world. —Ron Charles, Washington Post, 25 Apr. 2023 As journey’s end approaches, lachrymose thoughts return. —Robin Swithinbank, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Latin lacrimosus, from lacrima

First Known Use

circa 1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of lachrymose was circa 1727

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Lachrymose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lachrymose. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

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Kids Definition

lachrymose

adjective

lach·ry·mose ˈlak-rə-ˌm�?s

: tending to weep : tearful

: tending to cause tears : mournful

a lachrymose drama

lachrymosely adverb

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lachrymose

adjective

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Synonyms

Examples of lachrymose in a Sentence

Word History

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Kids Definition