adjective
lachrymose
LAK-rih-mohs/ˈlækrɪməʊs/
Sad and inclined to weep.
The lachrymose man holds a handkerchief as tears run down his cheeks.
Etymology
The pieces suggest being “full of tears.” English moved from an early sense of “tear-like” to describing someone given to weeping.
In context
it was whispered that he was over- quarrelsome, and of his brother that he was lachrymose.
More examples
- His lachrymose voice makes it hard to understand his farewell.
- The sad ending puts me in a lachrymose mood.
- Usually cheerful, she becomes lachrymose as the visit draws to a close.
Forms
lachrymose
Similar words
- tearful
- Emphasizes actual tears rather than a generally mournful mood.
- mournful
- Describes deep sadness without necessarily suggesting a tendency to cry.