to weep

239 1.1

To cry and let tears fall because you feel sad or have strong feelings

verb
/wiːp/

: llorar

I weep for America.
begin to weep
make someone weep
weep for the dead

So when the eagle weeps for what it has lost,

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Examples

The aunt hugs the children, telling them the war is over; she weeps with joy.

Academic text (2011)
And I started to weep uncontrollably now.

Danny Jones
Then why do you weep?

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Find, forgive, struggle, weep when you need to, laugh when you can.
And I just wept like a baby on my bed.
I notice that I am not the only one weeping as we write our letters.

Academic text (2001)
The young boy first saw his father weep as the family was forced into the little ghetto.

Academic text (1996)
I literally found myself weeping tears of joy.
And I just started weeping, like uncontrollably weeping.

Rich Roll
At cemeteries in every town, relatives and friends weep at the graves of loved ones.

Synonyms

to cry

vsto weep

∞ 1.0

To let tears fall because you feel sad or hurt

is the same action named by a different word

to sob

vsto weep

141 1.0

To cry with short, noisy breaths

is quieter and lacks the noisy sharp-breath pattern

to wail

vsto weep

72 3.2

To make a long loud cry because you are hurt or very sad

is the quieter shedding of tears rather than a long mournful sound

to bawl

vsto weep

35 5.9

Cry or shout loudly and without control

is the calmer, more restrained shedding of tears instead of loud shouting

to shed a tear

vsto weep

18 3.5

Cry a little, often with one tear

is broader, covering any amount or intensity of shedding tears

to baw

vsto weep

1 9.9

To cry loudly because you feel upset or hurt

is the calmer tearful response not mainly loud or frustrated

to cry one's eyes out

vsto weep

Informal

4.2

Cry for a long time because you feel very sad

is less intense and not necessarily long or prolonged

to bawl one's eyes out

vsto weep

Informal

7.6

Cry very loudly and for a long time

is the controlled and often quieter act rather than loud uncontrolled crying

Antonyms

to laugh

∞ 1.0

To make sounds and move your face or body because something is funny

to smile

∞ 1.0

To turn the corners of your mouth up to show happiness or friendliness

Idioms

to make the angels weep

Literature

1 9.1

To cause very deep sadness or wonder that makes angels cry

How Tearful

to sob

141 1.0

to weep

239 1.1

to whimper

88 3.3

to sniffle

22 2.3

Surface Forms

weep infinitive

weeping present participle

weeps third person singular

wept past

wept past participle

Etymology

Weep comes from the old English word wēpan, which meant 'to cry' and is like the German word weinen. So weep still means to 'shed tears' because of sadness or a strong feeling.