tearfully

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

English tearful

Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der.

Proto-Germanic *līkąder.

Proto-Germanic *-līkaz

Proto-Germanic *-ê

Proto-Germanic *-līkê

Proto-West Germanic *-līkē

Old English -līċe

Middle English -ly

English -ly

English tearfully

From tearful + -ly.

Adverb

tearfully (comparative more tearfully, superlative most tearfully)

1. In a tearful manner.
   • 1907, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 159:

     She was on her knees with her arms round Andrew's neck before he could prevent her. Her eyes were tearfully agleam, as, audibly reckless, she sobbed[.]

   • 2023 October 25, Stephen Collinson, “Trump rages as former acolytes turn against him under legal heat”, in CNN‎^[1]:

     Ellis on Tuesday tearfully confessed to the felony of aiding and abetting false statements that she and other lawyers told Peach State lawmakers.