Tearful describes someone who is crying a little, or is right on the edge of it — eyes wet, voice shaking, not yet sobbing. That 'not yet' is the heart of the word. If someone is crying hard, you say they are crying; 'tearful' is for the quieter state just before or just after, and it is gentler and more polite than saying 'she was crying', which is why news reports and careful writers like it.

Tearful describes someone用來描述一個人 who is crying a little正在小小哭一下 or is right on the edge of it或是快要哭出來 eyes wet眼睛濕濕的 voice shaking聲音在發抖 not yet sobbing但還沒真的放聲大哭 That 'not yet'那個「還沒」 is the heart of the word就是這個字的重點 If someone is crying hard如果一個人哭得很兇 you say they are crying你就會說they are crying（他們在哭） 'tearful' is for the quieter state而tearful是用在比較安靜的狀態 just before or just after就是快哭之前或哭完之後 and it is gentler and more polite而且它比 than saying 'she was crying'說「she was crying」更溫和、更禮貌一點 which is why也因此 news reports and careful writers like it新聞報導和講究用字的人喜歡用它

It also describes occasions and things, not only people: a tearful goodbye, a tearful phone call, a tearful reunion at the airport. There it means the event had crying in it — and note that this is not always sadness.

It also describes它也可以用來形容 occasions and things場合和事情 not only people而不只是人 a tearful goodbye一場含淚的告別 a tearful phone call一通含淚的電話 a tearful reunion at the airport機場裡一場含淚的重逢 There在這種用法裡 it means這個字指的是 the event had crying in it這件事裡面有哭泣的成分 and note而且要注意 that this is not always sadness這不一定是難過

A tearful reunion is a happy one; the tears are from feeling, not from unhappiness. Which feeling it is comes from the situation around the word, not from the word itself.

A tearful reunion一場含淚的重逢 is a happy one可能是開心的 the tears are from feeling眼淚是因為情緒而來 not from unhappiness而不是因為不開心 Which feeling it is到底是哪種情緒 comes from the situation around the word是由這個字周圍的情境決定 not from the word itself而不是這個字本身決定的