tearless
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /tˈiələs/
US
- /tˈɪrləs/
Description
- Without tears
- dry-eyed
- not crying
- unweeping
- showing no tears
"Tearless" describes someone or something without tears. It is often used for a face, farewell, or moment in which a person feels strong emotion but does not cry. A tearless goodbye, for example, may still be full of sadness; it simply happens without visible tears. The word can also be used more literally for dry eyes or for a situation in which tears do not come, even though pain or feeling is present.
The word "tearless" means without tears or showing no tears. At its most basic, it can describe eyes that stay dry. More often, though, it is used in scenes of emotion: a tearless farewell, a tearless face, or a tearless silence after bad news. In these cases, the word does not mean that no feeling exists. It usually suggests that the feeling is present but is kept under control, hidden, or simply not expressed through crying.
Imagine a parent watching a child leave home and giving a tearless goodbye. The moment may still carry love, pride, and sadness, but the tears do not appear. In a novel, a tearless character may seem calm on the outside while suffering deeply within. Because of that, the word often adds a quiet emotional tension to a sentence: it points to feeling that is real, even if it is not openly shown.
The word can also be used literally in a medical or physical sense, especially when tears are absent or reduced. Still, in everyday English it is most often tied to human emotion and self-control. Overall, "tearless" is a simple word with a strong effect: it shows the absence of tears, while often hinting at sorrow, restraint, or quiet strength beneath the surface.
Examples
- 1
After crying
After hours of crying, she sat on the sofa, exhausted and tearless.
- 2
Silent grief
At the funeral, his face stayed tearless, but he could barely speak.
Meaning
tearless can suggest strong emotion without crying
- 3
Quiet farewell
The film ends with a quiet, tearless goodbye that feels more painful than a dramatic one.
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- tearlessadjective