tear-jerker
Sob-inducing story
A tear-jerker is a movie, book, song, or story designed to provoke strong emotion—especially sadness or sentimental tears.
The term carries a slightly dismissive tone, suggesting manipulation rather than genuine artistry: The film was a shameless tear-jerker, but I cried anyway.
Also spelled tearjerker.
Excessively emotional about memories
- schmaltzyExcessively and insincerely sentimental
- maudlinExcessively tearful sentiment
- sappyExcessively sentimental
- cornyTiresomely sentimental or trite
cheesy · syrupy · saccharine · cloying · mushy · overwrought · manipulative · melodramatic
Movie or coating
- movieRecorded visual narrative
- dramaTheatrical art or turmoil
- weepyInclined to cry
- weepieSentimental sad film
romance · melodrama · tragedy · biopic · classic · adaptation · novel · screenplay
Emotionally affecting
- touchingEvoking gentle emotion
- poignantEvoking keen emotion
- heartfeltDeeply and sincerely meant
- powerfulHaving great strength
gripping · evocative · affecting · stirring · profound · bittersweet · wrenching · gut-wrenching
Being without something
- griefIntense sorrow from loss
- sacrificeGiving up something precious
- reunionGathering after separation
- farewellLeave-taking expression
illness · death · love · heartbreak · separation · redemption · forgiveness · reconciliation
To let go
- therapeuticPromoting healing or wellness
- healingRestoration of health
- cleansingRemoving dirt or toxins
- purgingForcible elimination of unwanted
comforting · consoling · uplifting · redemptive · transformative · liberating · soothing · restorative
sentimental
Excessively emotional about memories
- schmaltzyExcessively and insincerely sentimental
- maudlinExcessively tearful sentiment
- sappyExcessively sentimental
corny · cheesy · syrupy · saccharine · cloying · mushy · overwrought · manipulative · melodramatic · over-the-top
film
Movie or coating
weepie · romance · melodrama · tragedy · biopic · classic · adaptation · novel · screenplay · miniseries
moving
Emotionally affecting
powerful · gripping · evocative · affecting · stirring · profound · bittersweet · wrenching · gut-wrenching · devastating
loss
Being without something
farewell · illness · death · love · heartbreak · separation · redemption · forgiveness · reconciliation · longing
release
To let go
- therapeuticPromoting healing or wellness
- healingRestoration of health
- cleansingRemoving dirt or toxins
purging · comforting · consoling · uplifting · redemptive · transformative · liberating · soothing · restorative · cry
- melodramavillain, heroine, hero, damsel in distress, happy ending
- sentimentalitymawkish, schmaltzy, saccharine, treacly, cloying
- sentimentalismsensibility, sentiment, sentimentality, pathos, feeling
- movingmoving, moving truck, move out, move in, movers
- tragic literatureIliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Medea, Oedipus
- movie buzzblockbuster, cult classic, sleeper hit, box office draw, star power
tear-jerkerlaugh riot
Extremely amusing spectacle
comedy · knee-slapper · rib-tickler · romp · farce