WordGarden.ioteardrop
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /tˈiədrɒp/
US
Meanings
Noun
a drop of liquid from the eye when someone cries
a shape that is rounded at one end and pointed at the other
Beyond the definition
A teardrop is first of all a small drop of liquid that comes from your eye when you cry. But in English, it is also the name of a very common shape: round on one end and pointed on the other. Because of that, people often use the word for things like earrings, bottles, glass ornaments, stones, or window designs.
The word also carries feeling with it. A single teardrop can suggest sadness, pain, love, or a quiet emotional moment. Writers and speakers may use it in a literal way, for real crying, or in a more figurative way to describe something small, delicate, and full of feeling.
The word "teardrop" has two main uses that work closely together. In the most literal sense, it means a small drop of liquid from the eye. In everyday life, though, it is just as often used for a shape that looks like that drop: rounded on one side and narrowing to a point on the other. This is why you may hear about teardrop earrings, teardrop lamps, teardrop stones, or teardrop patterns in design.
That shape is common because it feels soft, simple, and graceful. In descriptions of objects, "teardrop" usually points to appearance rather than emotion. If someone talks about a teardrop pendant or a teardrop vase, they are mainly telling you what it looks like. The word helps the listener picture a form that is fuller at one end and narrow at the other.
At the same time, the word keeps its emotional link to crying. A teardrop can stand for sadness, loss, relief, or any strong feeling that brings tears. In stories and songs, one teardrop often suggests a quiet but powerful moment. It may show pain, but it can also show tenderness, memory, gratitude, or joy.
Writers sometimes extend the image even further. They may describe rain, glass, jewels, or light as a teardrop when they want to stress both the shape and the feeling the image carries. So "teardrop" is not only a physical word for a drop or a shape; it is also a poetic and emotional word that can make a description feel more human and vivid.
Examples
- 1
Crying
A single teardrop slid down her cheek as she read the letter.
- 2
Hidden emotion
He brushed away the teardrops before anyone else could see them.
- 3
Jewelry
She wore a necklace with a teardrop of green glass at the center.
- 4
Water drops
Morning light caught the teardrops on the leaves after the rain.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Door design
The front doors had small teardrop windows near the top.
- Phraseteardrop windows
windows shaped like teardrops
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- teardropnoun
Forms
- teardropspluralnoun