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
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
What’s more, the brand assures those with sensitive eyes that the sunscreen won’t cause that burning, teary sensation some other formulas cause.
—Jenny Berg, Allure, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for teary
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
What’s more, the brand assures those with sensitive eyes that the sunscreen won’t cause that burning, teary sensation some other formulas cause.
—Jenny Berg, Allure, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for teary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teary
Adjective
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This one is trickier and sadder to think about.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
12 Sep. 2025
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Composite image created by Newsweek shows two older people looking worried and a piggy bank with a sad face on its side.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Then came tearful reunions between the workers and their loved ones, who had anxiously awaited their return.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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Unlike long-distance love, there are no tearful airport reunions.—
Lucy Thorpe,
Refinery29,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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His relentless prepackaged positivity — even in the wake of depressing game day results — turned him into something of a punch line.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
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The depressing effect of the seasonality is somewhat offset by the ‘5’ effect.—
Bill Sarubbi,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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To navigate emotional volatility, understand what behaviors are acceptable to you and create clear boundaries with the ones that are not.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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The emotions of that victory two years ago were apparent at the time — Sirianni was bombastic exiting the field after the emotional win — but there is no concept of revenge this time.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The end of that era came slowly, through the pathetic collapse of Syria and Lebanon as functioning states, and then quickly, when Israel began touching Hezbollah in unexpected places.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
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Want the poop on this pathetic history?—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 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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That both of its leading men have suffered some great heartache is obvious from the first minutes of the premiere, directed by Jeremiah Zagar and set to Dan Deacon’s weepy score — even if the precise shape and scope of their losses will take some time to tease out.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
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There’s also a noticeable waft of influence from Nicholas Sparks that provides the weepier elements of this couple’s complications.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
19 Aug. 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 17 Sep. 2025.
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