涙ぐましい
なみだぐましい
i-adjective
touching; moving; heartrending
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 涙ぐましい | 涙ぐましくない |
| Past | 涙ぐましかった | 涙ぐましくなかった |
| て form | 涙ぐましくて | 涙ぐましくなくて |
| Adverbial | 涙ぐましく | — |
| Conditional ば | 涙ぐましければ | 涙ぐましくなければ |
| Conditional たら | 涙ぐましかったら | 涙ぐましくなかったら |
1.
touching; moving; heartrending
Describes an effort or situation so earnest, or so pitiable, that it moves one nearly to tears. Most often used of someone's painstaking, self-sacrificing efforts.
涙ぐましい努力を続けた。
He kept up his touching efforts.
彼女の涙ぐましい努力がついに実った。
Her heartrending efforts finally bore fruit.
家族のために働き続けるその姿は、涙ぐましいほどだった。
The sight of him working on and on for his family was almost enough to bring you to tears.
Literally "tear-provoking." Describes earnest, often self-sacrificing efforts that touch the heart; carries sympathy and admiration rather than pity alone.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 涙ぐましい努力: touching, painstaking efforts (by far the most common pairing)
- 涙ぐましい姿: a moving sight
- 涙ぐましいほど: to a touching degree
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 痛ましい: pitiful, distressing — emphasizes pain and misfortune, not admiration
- 健気な: admirable (of a weak person's brave effort) — praises the spirit rather than moving one to tears