Basic Details
Word: Weep
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To cry and shed tears because of strong feeling, such as sadness or joy.
Synonyms: cry, sob, shed tears
Antonyms: laugh, rejoice
How to Spell Weep
Syllables: weep
Tricky part: Two e's in the middle, as in sleep and keep. The past tense is wept, and that is where many students slip.
Watch out for: weap, wepe, wheep
Memory tip: Sleep, keep, weep: the ee words travel together, and so do their past forms slept, kept, wept.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The whole hall began to weep at the end of the farewell song.
Example 2: There is no need to weep over a broken toy; we can glue it.
Example 3: She wept with joy when her name was read out as the winner.
Fun Fact
Onions can make people weep without any sadness at all: cutting one releases a gas that stings the eyes.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word weep as used in the sentence:
The old man began to weep quietly when he saw his childhood home again after fifty years.
a) sing
b) laugh
c) cry
d) shout
Show answer
c) cry. Tears at the sight of an old home mean the man began to cry.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word:
1. weep 2. lamant 3. greive 4. sorow
a) to feel very sad because someone has died
b) to cry because of strong feeling
c) a feeling of great sadness
d) to express sorrow or regret about something
Show answer
b) to cry because of strong feeling. Grieve puts i before e, lament ends in -ent, and sorrow has a double r.
Word Cookie
One word in this sentence is misspelt. Find it:
The children could not help but weap when their favourite teacher said she was leaving the school at the end of term.
a) leaving
b) favourite
c) term
d) weap
Show answer
d) weap. Weap would sit with heap and leap, but this word belongs to the ee family of sleep and keep.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these would make most people weep?
a) a funny cartoon on television
b) sad news about a close friend
c) a bright and sunny morning
d) a brand-new pencil box
Show answer
b) sad news about a close friend
2. Which word means to weep loudly and without control?
a) giggle
b) bawl
c) sigh
d) whisper
Show answer
b) bawl
