1
as in sad
causing unhappiness
a teary ending to what had been up to that point a lighthearted movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tearful
given to expressing strong emotion (as sorrow) by readily shedding tears
he's one of those teary drunks who sees fit to bore the other bar patrons with his sad stories
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of teary
Albritton became teary when recounting touring the high school building in Parkland where students were shot and killed.
—
Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
Bieber himself made reference to the pressures on young performers in a teary interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe in 2020.
—Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2025
And then probably a Sunday that ends among familiar shadows splayed across fairways, a long walk up Augusta’s 18th, a hat brim pushed up off his forehead, a final putt, a final roar, a teary embrace with his family, and then a 44 Long in green.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Admittedly, that moment when a teary Dana comforts Jake over the loss of his girlfriend absolutely did me in.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teary
Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
Bieber himself made reference to the pressures on young performers in a teary interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe in 2020.
—Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2025
And then probably a Sunday that ends among familiar shadows splayed across fairways, a long walk up Augusta’s 18th, a hat brim pushed up off his forehead, a final putt, a final roar, a teary embrace with his family, and then a 44 Long in green.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Admittedly, that moment when a teary Dana comforts Jake over the loss of his girlfriend absolutely did me in.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teary
Adjective
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After the show, there's booze, girls, and hotel suites, but Abel's locked in the bathroom, being sad.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
15 May 2025
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For someone who prizes roadside Americana, this is the visual version of the sad trombone sound.—
Christopher Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Pop singer Cassie gave a tearful testimony during the Diddy trial.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
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This year, Frémaux scored big as Leonardo DiCaprio showed up to present a tearful Robert De Niro with his honorary Palme d’Or.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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The mortality rates of small indie presses and literary journals are a depressing feature of our cultural landscape.—
Michael Washburn,
National Review,
25 May 2025
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Despite there being ample intrigue and mystery around what happened to Peter's first wife, the truth is pretty depressing.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Melling portrays parking attendant Colin with the thrilling curiosity and emotional depth of a young gay man exploring his sexuality for the first time, while attempting to define his own desires and identity, independent of his much more experienced dom.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
18 May 2025
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That tension, both emotional and class-based, gave the film a new dynamic.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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What with weakened teams and consistently pathetic performances, their league form on both their parts has been pathetic enough to be termed a dereliction of duty.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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Take yesterday’s left hook out of nowhere by President Donald Trump, bragging about doing something that would bust even this pathetic budget.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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Comment At the end of the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Richard Strauss’s Salome, the soprano Elza van den Heever stayed onstage to accept the uproarious ovations with a weepy smile and a grateful tap on her heart.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2025
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Novelist Kazuo Ishiguro’s weepy cloning love-triangle story turned out to be apt source material for his friend Garland to adapt.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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Several days after this lachrymose dinner, a carnival-level event delighted Angelenos of either political persuasion.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2024
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Puccini later inserted a different, more lachrymose text, one that forecasts her suicide.—
Alex Ross,
The New Yorker,
23 Oct. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Teary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teary. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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