tearjerker

noun

tear·​jerk·​er ˈtir-ˌjər-kər How to pronounce tearjerker (audio)
: a story, song, play, film, or broadcast that moves or is intended to move its audience to tears
tear-jerking
ˈtir-ˌjər-kiŋ How to pronounce tearjerker (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
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.
The performances range from Sara Bareilles to Johnny Cash songs to unexpected tearjerkers, but the night’s real draw is a welcoming room where people share their sorrows, feel less lonely and build friendships. — Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026 If Crystal and Ellis had stayed on that tack — tales about the house at 860 bound together by a sense of its loss — 860 might have the sturdiness of a tearjerker. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026 Scott’s tearjerker opened the 70th BFI London Film Festival Wednesday night, as the Irishman was joined by co-stars Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Luke Thompson and Joe Locke on the red carpet. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026 The finished product is an acoustic tearjerker, in which Godwin speaks directly to his son. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tearjerker

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tearjerker was in 1912

Rhymes for tearjerker

See All Rhymes for tearjerker

Browse Nearby Words

tear it
tearjerker
tear-jerking
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tearjerker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tearjerker. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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