lachrymose

lach·ry·mose
L1A1C3H4R1Y4M3O1S1E1
/ˈlæk.ɹɪ.moʊs/UK/ˈlækrɪˌməʊz/UK/ˈlækrɪˌməʊs/US/ˈlækrəˌmoʊs/

adjective

Tearful, sorrowful, sad, pertaining to tears, weeping, causing tears or crying.

Similar
lachrymatemiserableunhappyatrabiliaryatrabiliousblithelessdispiritedblue
OriginLatin lachrymōsus, lacrimōsus ← Old Latin dacrima ← Proto-Indo-European *dakru- →
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Meanings

adjectivelachrymose (comparative more lachrymose, superlative most lachrymose)

comparative more lachrymose · superlative most lachrymose · alternative lacrimose

  1. Tearful, sorrowful, sad, pertaining to tears, weeping, causing tears or crying.

    It is true that Limeans were given to interpolating trivial songs into the most exquisite comedies and some lachrymose effects into the austerest music; but at least they never submitted to the boredom of a misplaced veneration.

    1927, Thornton Wilder, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, page 69

    Synonyms: lachrymate, miserable, unhappy, atrabiliary, atrabilious, blitheless, dispirited, blue

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveTearful, sorrowful, sad, pertaining to tears, weeping, causing tears or crying.

Similar
lachrymatemiserableunhappyatrabiliaryatrabiliousblithelessdispiritedbluebummed outchapfallencheerlesschopfallencrestfallencut updampdejecteddepresseddespondentdisgruntleddisconsolate

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveshowing sorrow

Similar
dolorousdolouroustearfulweepingsorrowful
Also see
cryeycrysomedolorouslachrymatelarmoyantmaudlinmoistsadsobfultearfultearywateryweepingweepy

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dakru-
  2. Old Latindacrima
  3. Latinlachrymōsus, lacrimōsus
  4. Englishlachrymose

Learned borrowing from Latin lachrymōsus, lacrimōsus, from lachryma, lacrima (“tear”) + -osus (“-ful”), from Old Latin dacrima, from Proto-Indo-European *dakru-, cognate with English tear.

More words from Latin, Old Latin, Proto-Indo-European

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic بكّاء
  • بكّاءtearful; causing tears
Bulgarian сълзлив, плачещ
  • сълзлив (sălzliv)tearful; causing tears
  • плачещ (plačešt)tearful; causing tears
Chinese Mandarin 催泪的
  • 催泪的 (cuīlèide)tearful; causing tears
Dutch aangrijpend, treurig
  • aangrijpendtearful; causing tears
  • treurigtearful; causing tears
  • intriesttearful; causing tears
Finnish itkuinen, kyynelehtivä
  • itkuinentearful; causing tears
  • kyynelehtivätearful; causing tears
  • itkettävätearful; causing tears
French lacrymal
  • lacrymaltearful; causing tears
German ergreifend, traurig
  • ergreifendtearful; causing tears
  • traurigtearful; causing tears
  • nahe gehendtearful; causing tears
Italian lacrimoso
  • lacrimosotearful; causing tears
Māori matawai, matawaia
  • matawaitearful; causing tears
  • matawaiatearful; causing tears
Polish łzawy, płaczliwy
  • łzawytearful; causing tears
  • płaczliwytearful; causing tears
Portuguese lacrimoso
  • lacrimosotearful; causing tears
Romanian lăcrimos
  • lăcrimostearful; causing tears
Russian плакси́вый, слезли́вый
  • плакси́вый (plaksívyj)tearful; causing tears
  • слезли́вый (slezlívyj)tearful; causing tears
Spanish lacrimoso, lacrimógeno
  • lacrimosotearful; causing tears
  • lacrimógenotearful; causing tears
Swedish tårfylld, gråtmild
  • tårfylldtearful; causing tears
  • gråtmildtearful; causing tears
  • sorgligtearful; causing tears
Turkish ağlamaklı, ağlatan
  • ağlamaklıtearful; causing tears
  • ağlatantearful; causing tears
Welsh dagreuol, wylofus
  • dagreuoltearful; causing tears
  • wylofustearful; causing tears
Cite this entry
APA

lachrymose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lachrymose

MLA

“lachrymose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lachrymose. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lachrymose,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lachrymose.

Source: lachrymose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.