tear·jerk·er

(tîr′jûr′kər)

n. Informal

A highly sentimental story, drama, or performance, often intended to arouse heartache or sympathy.

tear′-jerk′ing adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

tear-jerking

adjective

Slang. Affectedly or extravagantly emotional:

bathetic, gushy, maudlin, mawkish, romantic, sentimental, slushy, sobby, soft, soppy.

Informal: gooey, mushy, schmaltzy, sloppy, soupy.

Slang: drippy, sappy.

Translations

tear-jerking

[ˈtɪəˌdʒɜːkɪŋ] ADJ → lacrimógeno, muy sentimental

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

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References in periodicals archive

The recent follow-up isn't as tear-jerking or complex, but it proves the creative team's grip on stunningly human storytelling is as firm as ever.

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All that other stuff is fine, a tear-jerking video does not hole a tricky five-footer or find the short stuff from the tee.

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While there are many genuine laugh-out-loud moments, there are also emotional tear-jerking scenes.

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But why does each item brought in for repair need to have a tear-jerking back-story?

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The tear-jerking video tells the story of Woody the Christmas toy pup, who is thrown out with the rubbish before being rescued and taken in for care by the RSPCA.

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Recently, their stint at the long-running drama anthology 'Maalaala Mo Kaya' earned them praises for their tear-jerking performance.

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Opens Friday This faith-based weepy may have hit the religious spot in the US, but for more cynical Brits its chief draw is in the tear-jerking department.

Films

Heart-warming and tear-jerking, The Fifteen Streets sees its romantic love story play out against a vivid backdrop of social deprivation and class divides.

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REALITY Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell reunite more families in another tear-jerking episode.

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Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson are in brilliant tear-jerking form.

FRIDAY

LONG LOST FAMILY ITV 9pm Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell reunite more families in another tear-jerking episode.

3TO SEE; WEDNESDAY June 10

LONG LOST FAMILY ITV, 9pm Hankies at the ready - Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell are back with the most tear-jerking show on the telly, as they reunite more people with long-lost loved ones.

TV CHOICE