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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of teary
And in recent years, Venice has offered its share of memorable red-carpet looks (think Lady Gaga and her haute couture headpiece) and viral moments that draw the attention of the world (a teary Brendan Fraser basking in a standing ovation).
—
Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
The whole, which left me teary for much of the finale, is far more than the sum of its parts, which are generally entertaining and sometimes quite funny, though occasionally a bit forgettable.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
Zach, meanwhile, gets teary over his current predicament.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 14 Aug. 2025
All the conceits of a true-crime film are there – the lead detective interviews, shaky images from police-cams, the salacious headlines, the nauseating crime scene photos, the TV news reports, teary interviews with friends and family.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teary
Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
The whole, which left me teary for much of the finale, is far more than the sum of its parts, which are generally entertaining and sometimes quite funny, though occasionally a bit forgettable.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
Zach, meanwhile, gets teary over his current predicament.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 14 Aug. 2025
All the conceits of a true-crime film are there – the lead detective interviews, shaky images from police-cams, the salacious headlines, the nauseating crime scene photos, the TV news reports, teary interviews with friends and family.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teary
Adjective
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Everyone's a little sad in The Holdovers, Alexander Payne's charmingly sour comedy about a student stuck at his New England boarding school over the holidays with only his grouchy professor (Paul Giamatti) and the school cook (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) for company.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
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The 25-year-old wide receiver is sad to see his teammates go, but trusts the vision of the New York front office.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The National Director of Miss Universe Thailand, Nawat Itsaragrisil, was dismissed after a tearful apology campaign proved not enough to stem a growing tide of criticism.—
Paula Soria,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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Erika's speech at the event was a tearful tribute to her late husband and his political mission, though her introduction for JD went viral on social media for a different reason.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Green Bay Packers suffered a brutal injury blow during their depressing Week 9 loss against the Carolina Panthers at home.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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Soon, the entire room was awash with clippings, each detailing a different duplicitous scheme — a depressing reflection of how scam culture was taking over my country, eroding our trust in each other.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Shouts for it will be met by angry fingers jutted towards the various gaffes played ad nauseam on Sky Sports’ weekly Ref Watch, or the mandatory pause before the emotional unleashing as VAR mulls over whether a goal is a goal or just a hoax.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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But del Toro expands the emotional spectrum with forgiveness.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Enter Claude Whelan, played by James Callis, a fine actor with a face that can contort itself into about a dozen different versions of misery and pathetic dismay.—
Brian Grubb,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
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Ratcheting up the pressure on the pathetic Putin will be the only way this war ends.—
Chicago Tribune,
Twin Cities,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But his crying scene in Ford v Ferrari is one for the ages.—
Michael Granberry,
Dallas News,
17 Jan. 2020
Adjective
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Cincinnati’s bumper music: The Burrow-less Bengals are weepy, and few bands do sadness like The National.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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There was even a weepy Nicholas Sparks movie on offer called, appropriately, The Choice.—
Sophia Rosenfeld
September 26,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 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
Cite this Entry
“Teary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teary. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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