tearfully

tearfully — adverb

1. in a way that shows someone is crying or is very close to crying, usually becaus

1.adverbB1
Definition

in a way that shows someone is crying or is very close to crying, usually because of a strong feeling such as sadness, regret, happiness, or relief

Example

Amira tearfully explained why she had to leave the project so suddenly.

tearfully + verb of speech (explain)

Tuan tearfully apologized for the harsh words he had said during the argument.

tearfully + verb of apology (apologize)

Common collocations
  • tearfully explained
  • tearfully apologized
  • tearfully hugged
  • tearfully said
  • smiled tearfully
Synonyms
  • in tears

    idiomatic phrase meaning the same; more informal and common in spoken English

  • weepily

    less common; carries a slightly humorous or exaggerated tone

  • sadly

    broader meaning — describes sorrow without necessarily involving tears

Antonyms
  • cheerfully

    opposite emotional tone — with happiness instead of tears

  • dry-eyed

    specifically describes doing something without crying

Grammar Patterns

tearfully + [verb of speech or emotion]

[verb] + tearfully

Usage Note

Frequently paired with verbs of speech (said, explained, apologized) and emotional gestures (hugged, smiled, thanked). Unlike 'crying,' which emphasizes the physical action, 'tearfully' stresses the emotional state behind the action.

Common Mistakes

She cried and said goodbye to her classmates.
She tearfully said goodbye to her classmates.
'cried and said' treats the crying and speaking as separate actions; 'tearfully said' combines them into one natural description.
He tearfully wipped away the tears.
He tearfully wiped away the tears.
'wipe' is commonly misspelled when describing crying-related actions.

Word family

  • tear
    nounA2
  • tearful
    adjectiveB1
  • teary
    adjectiveB2
  • teariness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Tearfully' is the standard adverb describing an action done while crying or on the verge of tears, common in written narratives and emotional descriptions. 'In tears' is an idiomatic phrase with similar meaning but is more informal and often used in everyday speech ('She was in tears when she heard the news'). 'Sadly' is much broader — it covers any situation involving sorrow, whether or not the person is actually crying ('He sadly shook his head'), so it is useful when you want to convey sadness without specifying tears. 'Weepily' is less common and can sound slightly humorous or exaggerated ('He weepily blew his nose'), best reserved for informal or comic contexts. Use 'tearfully' when the presence of tears is central to the scene; use 'sadly' when the emotion matters more than the physical display.

tearfully ↗in tearssadly ↗weepily

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • tearfully + verb of speech/emotion
  • verb + tearfully

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed in English from 'tear' (the drops from the eyes, from Old English tēar) + '-ful' (full of) + '-ly' (adverb suffix). The adjective 'tearful' appeared around the late 1500s, and the adverb 'tearfully' followed naturally, becoming common in 19th-century novels and emotional writing.