Word of the Day: LACHRYMOSE

Feeling tearful

lachrymose (adj) - tearful or weepy; prone to tears

• lachrymal means of or pertaining to tears or weeping

BREAKDOWN: The word lachrymose and its related terms derive from the Latin lacrima meaning tear and lacrimosus meaning tearful. Those words borrowed heavily from the Greek dakryma meaning a tear. Somehow, our English term inherited both Latin and Greek elements.

“February was sobbing and blustering its lachrymose way into March…” ―Dorothy L. Sayers, Gaudy Night

[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not necessarily derived from classical roots.]