lachrymose
adjective
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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
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 2023
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lachrymose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lachrymose
Cite this Entry
“Lachrymose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lachrymose. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
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lachrymose
adjective
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