the clear salty solution secreted by the lacrimal glands that lubricates and cleanses the surface of the eyeball and inner surface of the eyelids
▶ Related adjective: lachrymal
2.
a state of intense frustration (esp in the phrase bored to tears)
3. in tears
4. without tears
Examples of 'tears' in a sentence
tears
Behind the soft darkness of the cloth, she wept silently, the blindfold soaking up her tears.
Garth Nix LIRAEL: DAUGHTER OF THE CLAYR (2001)
The Overlord will protect me," he chanted softly as the tears streamed down his face.
Jennifer Fallon TREASON KEEP (2001)
Finally she turned to him, the tears under control for the time being.
Jennifer Fallon TREASON KEEP (2001)
Synonyms of 'tears'
crying, weeping, sobbing, wailing
More Synonyms of tears
All related terms of 'tears'
tear
Tears are the drops of salty liquid that come out of your eyes when you are crying .
in tears
weeping
Job's-tears
a tropical Asian grass , Coix lacryma-jobi , cultivated for its white beadlike modified leaves, which contain edible seeds
angel's tears
any of several night-blooming convolvulaceous plants, esp the white-flowered Calonyction (or Ipomoea ) aculeatum
without tears
presented so as to be easily assimilated
crocodile tears
If someone is crying crocodile tears , their tears and sadness are not genuine or sincere .
tear up
If something such as a road , railway , or area of land is torn up , it is completely removed or destroyed .
dissolve in tears
weep
floods of tears
If you say that someone was in floods of tears or in a flood of tears , you are emphasizing that they were crying with great intensity because they were very upset .
reduce to tears
If someone or something reduces you to tears , they make you feel so unhappy that you cry .
tear away
If you tear someone away from a place or activity , you force them to leave the place or stop doing the activity, even though they want to remain there or carry on.
tear down
If you tear something down , you destroy it or remove it completely.
tear gas
Tear gas is a gas that causes your eyes to sting and fill with tears so that you cannot see . It is sometimes used by the police or army to control crowds .
tear into
If you tear into someone, you criticize them very angrily and strongly.
tear off
If you tear off your clothes , you take them off in a rough and violent way.
shed crocodile tears
to pretend to be sad or to sympathize with someone without really caring about them
tear apart
If something tears people apart , it causes them to quarrel or to leave each other.
blood, sweat, and tears
If you refer to something as involving blood, sweat , and tears , you mean that it is a very hard thing to do and requires a lot of effort.
bored to death
extremely bored
wear and tear
Wear and tear is the damage or change that is caused to something when it is being used normally .
bore to tears/bore to death/bore stiff
If someone or something bores you to tears , bores you to death , or bores you stiff , they bore you very much.