1.
tear gland; lacrimal gland
The gland that produces tears. In everyday Japanese, most often encountered in the figurative expression 涙腺が緩む (one's tear glands loosen, i.e., to get teary-eyed easily).
涙腺が緩んだ。
I got teary-eyed.
年を取ると涙腺が弱くなる。
As you get older, you get teary more easily.
あの映画は涙腺崩壊だった。
That movie had me completely in tears.
While technically an anatomical term, 涙腺 is most commonly used in figurative expressions about crying or becoming emotional. The phrase 涙腺が緩む is extremely common in everyday speech.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 涙腺が緩む: to get teary-eyed; to well up
- 涙腺が弱い: to cry easily
- 涙腺崩壊: total tearful collapse (slang for crying hard)
- 涙腺を刺激する: to stimulate the tear glands; to be a tearjerker
USAGE NOTE:
涙腺崩壊 is internet slang meaning "I cried so hard" — literally "tear-gland collapse." Used in reviews, social media, and casual conversation to describe extremely moving experiences.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 涙: tears — the tears themselves
- 泣く: to cry — the basic verb for crying
- 涙もろい: easily moved to tears — an adjective describing the personality trait