'tearful' originates from the Old English word 'tearful,' where 'tear' meant 'a drop of clear salty liquid secreted by glands in your eyes' and '-ful' meant 'full of.'

'tearful' changed from the Old English word 'tearful' and has remained largely unchanged in modern English.

Initially, it meant 'full of tears,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.