What does welled up mean?

The idiom "welled up" refers to a sudden surge of emotion, typically involving tears. It is often used to describe the feeling when one becomes emotionally overwhelmed and experiences a buildup of tears in their eyes. The phrase implies that the emotions are rising like water in a well, leading to the point where the tears spill over.

For example:

1. "When she saw the old photo of her grandmother, tears welled up in her eyes."

2. "The emotional speech from the war veteran left everyone in the audience with welled-up eyes."

3. "The touching scene in the movie made tears well up in our eyes."

"Welled up" is a vivid expression that captures the intensity of feelings and the physical manifestation of tears filling up in one's eyes due to strong emotions.