Definition

Verb: To have tears welling up in one's eyes; to be on the verge of crying, typically due to being deeply moved by emotion (such as sadness, nostalgia, happiness, or gratitude). It describes the state where tears have formed and are shimmering in the eyes but have not yet fallen.

Usage

This verb is used to describe a specific emotional and physical state. It is intransitive and often describes the subject's eyes (mắt). It conveys a sense of contained, brimming emotion rather than outright sobbing.

Usage Examples

• Her eyes welled up with tears when she heard the good news. (Mắt cô ấy khi nghe tin vui.)
• Listening to that song, I felt tears welling up. (Nghe bài hát đó, tôi thấy .)
• The old man's eyes welled up as he remembered his hometown. (Đôi mắt ông lão khi nhớ về quê hương.)

Advanced Usage

• "rưng rưng nước mắt": This is a more descriptive and slightly emphatic phrase, directly linking the state to tears. It means "to have tears welling up."
  • She was so touched that her eyes welled up with tears. (Cô ấy cảm động đến mắt rưng rưng nước mắt.)

Variants and Related Words

• Rơm rớm (verb): A near-synonym meaning to have a few tears trickling or be moist-eyed. It can sometimes imply tears are starting to fall, whereas often describes them just pooling.
• Ngân ngấn (verb): Another synonym describing eyes glistening with unshed tears.
• Sụt sùi (verb): To sob quietly. This indicates audible crying, a step beyond .
• Nức nở (verb): To weep, to sob convulsively. This describes stronger, more overt crying.

Synonyms

• To well up (with tears)
• To get misty-eyed
• To be teary-eyed
• To have one's eyes fill with tears

Related Idioms

• "Mắt rưng rưng lệ": A poetic/literary variant meaning "eyes brimming with tears."
  • With eyes brimming with tears, she said goodbye. (Với mắt rưng rưng lệ, cô ấy nói lời tạm biệt.)

verb

1. to have tears welling up