tearier; teariest
Synonyms of tearynext
1
a
: wet or stained with tears : tearful
teary eyes
b
: consisting of tears or drops resembling tears
2
: causing tears : pathetic
a teary story

Examples of teary in a Sentence

There were many teary eyes among those in the audience. He made a teary farewell to the fans.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The same Ollie Martin who left with his shoulders sunk and his teary eyes swollen. Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026 Now imagine the same with some of those teary eyes angled down toward glowing screens, while others frame the bride with their phones. Nikita Khanna, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2026 That memory from age 13 makes Sawitz, now 68 and father to a 12-year-old daughter, teary. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2026 Paul Thomas Anderson was teary eyed about De Luca after wining Best Director for One Battle After Another. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for teary

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of teary was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Teary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teary. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.

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