lacrimatory

9.9

That causes the eyes to fill with tears

adjective
/ˈleɪkrɪməˌtɔri/

Specialized

: lacrimógeno

The onions released a lacrimatory vapor when chopped, irritating my eyes.

Examples

The lacrimatory effect of the smoke made everyone in the room tear up.
The lacrimatory scene made me cry.
She tried to avoid lacrimatory movies because they made her cry for hours.
This movie is so lacrimatory!
The lacrimatory fumes from the onions filled the kitchen, causing tears to stream down my face.
Watching the lacrimatory documentary about the rescue mission brought tears to my eyes.
The lacrimatory advertisement stirred deep emotions and left many viewers in tears.

Synonyms

lachrymose

vslacrimatory

Literature

1 9.9

Showing sadness or making people want to cry

refers to physical tear production rather than emotional sadness

lacrimal

vslacrimatory

Specialized

1 9.1

Relating to tears and the body parts that make or carry them

focuses on causing tears rather than only on anatomical parts

lachrymal

vslacrimatory

Archaic

1 9.9

Relating to tears or the small glands and tubes in the eye that make and carry them

emphasizes causing tears not just referring to tear organs

lachrymatory

vslacrimatory

Specialized

1 9.9

Causes your eyes to fill with tears

has identical meaning but is a different form of the word

How Tearful

lachrymose

Literature

1 9.9

lacrimatory

Specialized

9.9

tearful

25 1.8

teary-eyed

11 3.2

dry-eyed

3 5.8

Surface Forms

lacrimatory positive

Morphology

lacrimatory = lacrimal (opaque) = lacrim + atory

The combining form 'lacrim-' is not a productive or familiar English morpheme for most learners, so the meaning 'relating to tears' is not directly inferable without knowledge of technical words like 'lacrimal' or Latin/medical roots.

Etymology

Lacrimatory comes from the Latin word lacrima, which means 'tear', and the same root appears in lacrimal, a word about the glands that make 'tears'. So, something lacrimatory causes 'tears' or makes you cry.