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
El asking Hopper to believe in her; El’s teary goodbye with Mike; Mike watching Holly and her friends take over the basement that was once his territory).
—
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Jan. 2026
Kimmel also got teary last month when his lifelong friend and show bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, died at age 59.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 Dec. 2025
If someone does bring up his teary picture, Wallake brushes it off.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2025
The brain will also use nerves to signal the body to respond to pain with symptoms like feeling tired, teary eyes, runny nose, upset stomach and discomfort in bright or loud environments.
—Katherine Cobb-Pitstick, The Conversation, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teary
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Jan. 2026
Kimmel also got teary last month when his lifelong friend and show bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, died at age 59.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 Dec. 2025
If someone does bring up his teary picture, Wallake brushes it off.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2025
The brain will also use nerves to signal the body to respond to pain with symptoms like feeling tired, teary eyes, runny nose, upset stomach and discomfort in bright or loud environments.
—Katherine Cobb-Pitstick, The Conversation, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teary
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Nancy Guthrie's Arizona community gathered for a vigil Wednesday evening while the world can't look away from an incident that is deeply, horrifically sad and frightening.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The song is sophisticated and simple, sad and somehow triumphant.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Ho Jin walks in at that moment, and there’s a whole tearful reunion, if understated and wordless.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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In a clip from the show, a tearful Kardashian discussed her divorce from West.—
Jack Irvin,
PEOPLE,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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More depressing, the brothers say.—
Max Chesnes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
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Any insight into the thought processes of people like him is informative and amusing, if a bit depressing as well.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Testimony is also likely to include emotional stories from those who were in the school that day.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
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Romero does not have the tactical or emotional discipline required to be an effective captain.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These attempts at sowing division are pathetic and getting boring.—
Rhyma Castillo,
San Antonio Express-News,
29 Jan. 2026
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For Guardiola to focus on lambasting Hallam was pretty pathetic, all told.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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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This year’s unstoppable force nabbed the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama for playing the weepy Mrs. Shakespeare following her big win at the Critics Choice Awards last weekend.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
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Hamnet is a somber watch, much more nakedly sentimental and weepy than Zhao’s other films (including the wonderful neo-Western The Rider, the Oscar-winning drama Nomadland, and the Marvel curio Eternals).—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
27 Nov. 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 11 Feb. 2026.
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