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Synonyms

teary

American  
[teer-ee] / ˈtɪər i /

adjective

tearier, teariest

  1. of or like tears.

  2. tearful.

teary British  
/ ˈtɪərɪ /

adjective

  1. characterized by, covered with, or secreting tears

  2. given to weeping; tearful

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • tearily adverb
  • teariness noun

Etymology

Origin of teary

First recorded in 1325–75, teary is from the Middle English word tery. See tear 1, -y 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Wendy said she wanted to be "reunited" with her husband "at the end of her days" and has felt "quite teary" thinking that this will no longer happen.

From BBC

I didn’t want him to see me with my red face and teary eyes so I kept walking, the mud coming up between my toes.

From Literature

"I will go," he told AFP with teary eyes.

From Barron's

When the trooper, too, began to get teary, Truman fell back on his strongman act of bravado.

From Literature

She quickly finds herself becoming “teary” as she did in the past at other weddings, tarnished by recollections of her previous life making the novel as much about her as about Boone.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.