Final answer:
The word "lachrymose" means having a quality or abundance of tears, used to describe someone who is tearful or an emotional state that often invokes sympathy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The word "lachrymose" generally describes a person who is prone to crying or an emotional state that is tearful and causing tears. Breaking down the term with its dictionary entries, 'lachrym-' as a prefix means 'tears,' and the suffix '-ose' suggests having a quality or abundance of something. Therefore, when combined, 'lachrymose' specifically conveys the characteristic of being tearful or overly sad, often in a way that evokes sympathy. which indicates 'having the quality of'. So, 'lachrymose' describes something as being associated with or characterized by tears or sadness.
For example, in literature, a lachrymose character might be one who cries easily or shows sadness frequently. Similarly, a lachrymose scene in a movie may be especially designed to pull at the audience's heartstrings and bring them to tears. In the given context, 'lachrymose' would not imply anything upbeat or romantic, but rather a tendency towards sadness and the shedding of tears.