‘催泪’ literally means ‘to urge tears’ — combining 催 (cuī, ‘to urge, prompt, or stimulate’) and 泪 (lèi, ‘tears’). As an adjective, it describes something that strongly evokes sadness or deep emotional tenderness, causing listeners or viewers to tear up. It’s commonly used for films, songs, speeches, stories, or personal accounts that are deeply moving due to their sincerity, vulnerability, or poignant themes.

The term carries a positive or respectful connotation in Chinese — being ‘cuīlèi’ implies artistic or emotional authenticity, not manipulation. It appears frequently in entertainment reviews, social media commentary, and everyday speech when describing heartfelt experiences. While it can occasionally appear in noun form (e.g., ‘a cuīlèi scene’), its primary and most natural usage is adjectival, modifying nouns like 片 (film), 歌 (song), or 故事 (story).