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be tearful
tearful 作表语，强调某人当时眼含泪水的状态。
She was tearful when she talked about her grandmother.
她谈到祖母时眼里含着泪水。
含泪的；泪汪汪的；流泪的
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
含泪的；泪汪汪的；流泪的
filled with or marked by tears
She was tearful when she talked about her grandmother.
她谈到祖母时眼里含着泪水。
含泪的；哭泣的,或即将哭泣的。
Accompanied by tears; crying, or about to cry.
充满泪水的
filled with or marked by tears
悲伤的。
Sorrowful.
表现出悲伤的
showing sorrow
After the movie ended, the tearful audience slowly left the theater.
电影结束后，含泪的观众慢慢离开了电影院。
AI contextual example
He gave a tearful apology for forgetting their anniversary.
他因为忘记他们的周年纪念日而含泪道歉。
AI contextual example
The tearful mother hugged her son tightly at the airport.
那位泪汪汪的母亲在机场紧紧拥抱她的儿子。
AI contextual example
tearful eyes
泪汪汪的眼睛。
WordNet
tearful 作表语，强调某人当时眼含泪水的状态。
She was tearful when she talked about her grandmother.
她谈到祖母时眼里含着泪水。
系动词 become/grow/get 表示“变得”；tearful 常用来描述因激动或悲伤而流泪。
He became tearful during the memorial service.
他在追悼会上变得哽咽起来。
作定语时，tearful 常修饰 speech, farewell, eyes, face 等名词，表示“充满泪水的”。
She gave a tearful speech at the wedding.
她在婚礼上做了一次含泪的致辞。
Not this
She tearful when she heard the news.
Use this
She was tearful when she heard the news.
tearful 是形容词，用作表语时必须接在 be 动词后；中文里“她听到消息时含泪”没有 be 动词，所以容易漏掉 was。
Not this
She cried tearful.
Use this
She cried tearfully.
修饰动词 cried 要用副词形式 tearfully；tearful 是形容词，不能直接作状语修饰动词。
Not this
The movie made me tears.
Use this
The movie made me tearful.
make + 宾语后可接形容词作宾补，表示“使……变得……”；tears 是名词，不能作宾补，应改用形容词 tearful。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
含泪的眼睛
She looked at him with tearful eyes.
她含泪看着他。
含泪告别
It was a tearful goodbye at the airport.
在机场是一场含泪的告别。
带哭腔的声音
He answered in a tearful voice.
他用带哭腔的声音回答。
含泪重逢
The soldier's homecoming was a tearful reunion.
这位军人回家是一次含泪的重逢。
含泪道歉
She made a tearful apology to her friend.
她含泪向朋友道歉。
Use tearful naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
tear（眼泪）+ ful（充满）= 眼里满是眼泪，即“含泪的、泪汪汪的”。
语域：neutral 常见场景：日常对话、文学描写、普通书面语 tearful 通常用于描述含泪或泪汪汪的状态，语气中性，在日常对话和书面写作中都比较常见；它不像正式语或俚语，选择时主要看语境自然度，正式公文中不一定常用。
cheerful /ˈtʃɪrfəl/ 与 fearful /ˈfɪrfəl/ 和 tearful 押韵；tier /tɪr/ 与 tearful 的第一音节 tear(眼泪) 同音。注意 tear 作“撕破”讲读 /tɛr/，与眼泪义的 tear /tɪr/ 发音不同；careful /ˈkɛrfəl/ 虽以 -ful 结尾，但元音不同，不押韵。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.