weep

verb

wept ˈwept How to pronounce weep (audio) ; weeping

transitive verb

1
: to express deep sorrow for usually by shedding tears : bewail
weeping the sins and errors of his youthEdward Gibbon
2
: to pour forth (tears) from the eyes
3
: to exude (a fluid) slowly : ooze
a tree weeping sap

intransitive verb

1
: to express passion (such as grief) by shedding tears
2
a
: to give off or leak fluid slowly : ooze
b
of a fluid : to flow sluggishly or in drops
3
: to droop over : bend

Examples of weep in a Sentence

He wept at the news of her death. She sat down and wept. He wept bitter tears of disappointment. The meringue will weep if you put it in the fridge.
Recent Examples on the Web Most people there were openly weeping, some breaking down upon seeing Navalny’s portrait on his tombstone, submerged by heaps of roses and carnations. Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 The small boy wept upon her furtive departure, never to see her again. Donna M. Owens, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024 Earlier at the hospital, relatives wept over bodies laid out in burial shrouds in the courtyard, and a man cradled a dead infant. Wafaa Shurafa and Bassem Mroue The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 24 Feb. 2024 At the Kansas Capitol last month, families wept while recounting the deaths of their children, relatives and friends from fentanyl. Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2024 Local reporters covering the shooting Wednesday wept during their standups, and morning radio shows Thursday turned into therapy sessions for heartbroken fans. Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 On Thursday, Jennifer Crumbley wept at the defense table as Oakland County Sheriff's Detective Lt. Timothy Willis described the wounds suffered by the teens killed in the school shooting as prosecutors played surveillance video of the shooting. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 2 Feb. 2024 Emotions ran high, too – when the New England Patriots narrowly lost in 2008, many of their adult fans in attendance openly wept, which surprised her. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024 One night a year or so later, when Felicia was dying of cancer, Bernstein wept to my father, blaming himself for her illness. Adam Green, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'weep.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wepen, from Old English wēpan; akin to Old High German wuoffan to weep, Serbian & Croatian vapiti to cry out

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of weep was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near weep

Cite this Entry

“Weep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weep. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

weep

verb
wept ˈwept How to pronounce weep (audio) ; weeping
1
: to show emotion and especially sorrow by shedding tears : cry
2
: to give off liquid slowly or in drops : ooze
a tree weeping sap
weeper noun

Medical Definition

weep

verb
wept ˈwept How to pronounce weep (audio) ; weeping

transitive verb

1
: to pour forth (tears) from the eyes
2
: to exude (a fluid) slowly

intransitive verb

1
: to shed tears
2
: to exude a serous fluid
a weeping burn

More from Merriam-Webster on weep

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