What does "tearjerker" mean?

An emotionally charged film, novel, song, opera, television episode, etc., usually with one or more sad passages or ending, so termed because it suggests one is likely to cry during its performance.

Tearjerker

Q: What is a synonym for "tearjerker"?

Common synonyms include: bathos, bleeding heart, cloyingness, emotional drama, emotional storyteller, evoke tears.

noun, slang

noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun

1
An emotionally charged film, novel, song, opera, television episode, etc., usually with one or more sad passages or ending, so termed because it suggests one is likely to cry during its performance. informal
"Renamed in honor of the tube tearjerker, the work wondrously went on to become the most recognized theme in all of soapdom."
2
an excessively sentimental narrative wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

bathos bleeding heart cloyingness emotional drama emotional storyteller evoke tears

Antonyms

All antonyms

comedic storyteller comedy stoic narrator uplifting drama

Example

More examples

"That movie was a real tearjerker."

Etymology

From tear + jerker.

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