watery

adjective

wa·​tery ˈwȯ-tə-rē 

ˈwä-

1

a

: consisting of, filled with, or surrounded by water

b

: containing, sodden with, or yielding water or a thin liquid

a watery solution

watery vesicles

2

a

: resembling water or watery matter especially in thin fluidity, soggy texture, paleness, or lack of savor

watery sunlight

a watery soup

watery diarrhea

b

: exhibiting weakness and vapidity : wishy-washy

a watery writing style

waterily

ˈwȯ-tə-rə-lē 

ˈwä-

adverb

wateriness

ˈwȯ-tə-rē-nəs 

ˈwä-

noun

Synonyms

• awash
• bathed
• bedraggled
• doused
• dowsed
• drenched
• dripping
• logged
• saturate
• saturated
• soaked
• soaking
• sodden
• soggy
• sopping
• soppy
• soused
• washed
• water-soaked
• watered
• waterlogged
• wet

Examples of watery in a Sentence

The pollen caused her eyes to become watery.

The soup was watery and had no flavor.

the watery light of winter

Recent Examples on the Web

For itchy, watery eyes, antihistamine eye drops — often in conjunction with a nasal spray — tend to work best, Mafi said. —Nina Agrawal, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2024

Mild symptoms can include watery eyes, eye soreness, headaches and light sensitivity but more serious symptoms include blurry vision, blind spots, dim vision, distorted vision and eye pain. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 31 Mar. 2024

Read on to learn what causes watery eyes and how to stop them. —Amanda Gardner, Health, 21 Mar. 2024

Oral antihistamines, for example, can help relieve sneezing, itching, a stuffy or runny nose, and watery eyes. —Nora Colomer, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024

Severe cases can lead to acute watery diarrhea with severe dehydration; without timely treatment with IV fluids and antibiotics, these patients can die in a matter of hours. —Maryanne Murray Buechner, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024

Proof would be the watery grave of Earhart’s twin-engine Lockheed Electra. —Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024

The symptoms of measles generally appear about seven to 21 days after exposure and include a high fever, cough, runny nose, blotchy rash, feeling run-down or achy and red, watery eyes. —The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024

It’s covered by an icy shell, beneath which sits a watery ocean thought to be 40 to 100 miles deep. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing watery

• a watery grave

Kids Definition

watery

adjective

wa·​tery ˈwȯt-ə-rē 

ˈwät-

1

a

: consisting of or filled with water

a watery hole

b

: containing or giving out water or a thin liquid

a watery mixture

watery eyes

2

: being like water especially in thinness, sogginess, paleness, or lack of taste

watery lemonade

watery soup

Medical Definition

watery

adjective

wa·​tery ˈwȯt-ə-rē, ˈwät- 

1

: consisting of or filled with water

2

: containing, sodden with, or yielding water or a thin liquid

a watery solution

watery stools