WordGarden.ioteary
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /tˈiəri/
US
- /ˈtɪri/
Meanings
Adjective
having tears in the eyes; crying or close to crying
Beyond the definition
Have you ever watched a really sad movie? If your eyes start to fill with tears, you become teary. It does not necessarily mean you are crying hard, just that your eyes are shining and full of feeling. A teary goodbye at the airport, a teary reunion after years apart, these are moments when someone is close to crying or has a few tears in their eyes. Sometimes happy moments can make us teary too. Think about a beautiful wedding, where joyful tears often appear.
"Teary" describes someone whose eyes are filled with tears, or likely to fill with tears, due to strong emotion. It's more than just having wet eyes; it implies an emotional state—sadness, joy, relief, or even overwhelming gratitude can all make a person teary.
You might describe a character in a book as "tearful" if they are actively crying, but "teary" usually suggests a quieter moment before the tears fully fall, or a moment when only a few tears are showing. For example: "She gave him a teary smile," meaning her smile came with shining eyes and strong emotion.
The word can be used not just for people, but also for moments and events that bring out strong feelings. "It was a teary farewell as the soldiers prepared to leave." It is often linked with parting, loss, reunion, or deep human connection. While sadness is the most common feeling behind it, happy tears are common too. A winning athlete might give a teary acceptance speech, overcome with joy and pride.
So, if you see someone with glistening eyes, a slight tremble in their lip, and an expression full of feeling—they're likely to be teary, caught between emotion and the release of tears.
Examples
- 1
Goodbye
She looked teary after saying goodbye to her son.
- 2
Emotional speech
His voice sounded teary when he thanked the team.
- 3
Movie reaction
I still get teary at the end of that movie.
- 4
Wedding speech
The bride's father gave a teary smile during the speech.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Team surprise
Even the coach grew teary when the players surprised him.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
- watery
- lachrymose
- choked up
Contrast
- dry-eyed
- unmoved
Used with (collocations)
- teary eyes
- teary-eyed
- get teary
- teary smile
Word family
- tear
- -y
Explore
Forms and spellings
3 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- tearyadjective
Forms
- teariercomparativeadjective
- teariestsuperlativeadjective