tear jerker
Sentimental sad story
A tear jerker is a movie, book, song, or story designed to provoke sadness and make audiences cry.
The term carries a slightly dismissive tone, suggesting emotional manipulation rather than genuine artistry: The film was a shameless tear jerker, but I cried anyway.
Also spelled tearjerker.
- weepyInclined to cry
- ugly cryIntense, unflattering sobbing
- sad movieFilm meant to provoke tears
- melodramaSensational, emotionally overwrought drama
- emotionalShowing strong feelings
sentimental · sappy · heart-wrenching · Nicholas Sparks · pathos · death scene · terminal illness · dying wish · maudlin · box of tissues · catharsis · self-sacrifice · sobfest · mawkish · dramatic · romance novel · heartbreak · poignancy
- Country Musichonky tonk, Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, CMT, country pop
- emotional releasecry, venting, crying, sob, sobbing
emotional response elicited
tear jerkercomedy
Work meant to amuse
laugh riot · knee-slapper · romp · farce · crowd-pleaser
tear, jerker, tears, teared, tearing, teary, tearful, tearfully, tearfulness