tear-stained

Examples

• All

• The girl, who was already betrothed, raised her pale, tear-stained face with its frightened blue eyes and quivering mouth.

  Fiction book (1993)

• After a pause, Billy comes in from the back, sniffling, and turns the oil lamp up, revealing his bloodshot eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

  Fiction book (1997)

• His voice rose as he lifted his tear-stained, desperate face to Brian.

  Fiction book (1990)

• A heavy man who stood by the panel was staring at her tear-stained face.

  Fiction book (1990)

• A boy, fifteen or sixteen, with a tear-stained face.

  Fiction book (1997)

• His face was swollen and tear-stained, but he seemed to have stopped crying.

  Fiction book (1990)

• Inside, he finds FLORA crouching in a corner; her face is white, tear-stained, and splattered with mud.

  Fiction book (1993)

• Elle walks down the pink and green carpeted hall, dazed and tear-stained.

  Fiction book (2001)

• Sunlight slanted through high windows onto Klara sitting on her aunt's bed, wrapped in the fur coverlet but otherwise naked, her tear-stained eyes wide and staring.

  Fiction book (2000)

• I was embarrassed as a girl my age saw my tear-stained face, gave me a kiss, and ran away.

Synonyms

I

in tears

vstear-stained

64 2.0

Crying because you feel very sad or touched

records the physical trace of that crying on face or clothes

T

tearful

vstear-stained

26 1.8

Showing you are about to cry because of a strong feeling

focuses on visible wet or stained evidence rather than feeling

T

teary

vstear-stained

21 2.0

Having eyes that look ready to cry

shows the actual wet or stained result after crying

W

weepy

vstear-stained

20 3.7

Feeling like you want to cry easily

describes visible wet marks as the outcome of such crying

T

teary-eyed

vstear-stained

9 3.2

With eyes full of tears because of strong feeling or something in the eye

shows wet marks or stains that prove someone has been crying

M

misty-eyed

vstear-stained

5 4.8

Eyes are wet with tears because of strong feeling

emphasizes clear wet marks as proof of actual crying

W

watery-eyed

vstear-stained

1 4.1

Having eyes full of tears and looking as if about to cry

points to clear wetness or marks left by earlier crying

L

lachrymose

vstear-stained

• Literature

1 9.9

Showing sadness or making people want to cry

is the plain physical evidence of having shed tears, not tone

Antonyms

D

dry

791 1.0

Not wet or without any liquid

U

unmarked

43 4.3

Having no mark or label to show who it belongs to

How Tearful

tear-stained

2 3.7

tearful

26 1.8

teary-eyed

9 3.2

dry-eyed

2 5.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology