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
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, dust allergy symptoms include sneezing; runny or stuffy nose; itching; wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath; and red, itchy, or teary eyes.
—
Sunshine Flint, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
The pup can be seen glancing around his kennel with teary eyes, appearing scared and confused.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
McAdams got teary before Barbra Streisand took the stage to sing for Robert Redford.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
That’s a lot of teary bro hugs as players pack their bags and walk out the dressing room door forever.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for teary
Sunshine Flint, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
The pup can be seen glancing around his kennel with teary eyes, appearing scared and confused.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
McAdams got teary before Barbra Streisand took the stage to sing for Robert Redford.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
That’s a lot of teary bro hugs as players pack their bags and walk out the dressing room door forever.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for teary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teary
Adjective
-
The sad but realistic turns in their lives are engrossing, as is their slow convergence.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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While Vosk’s sassier Cee Cee holds her own in the churn, Barrett, also a fine singer but trapped in the straight-and-narrow part (with sadder wigs), gets swept out to sea.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the days after the procedure, he was filled with joy, always tearful.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
20 Apr. 2026
-
After lashing out at Morgan for suggesting that Lucia was a suspect, Karadec shows up at Morgan’s front door to apologize, leading to a tearful heart-to-heart between the partners.—
Max Gao,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Floyd’s sincerity, the startling extremity of his concern for the comfort of others, snaps Clark out of his depressed, and depressing, complacency.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
That’s already a depressing number.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Snitker grew emotional while thanking his friend and mentor in his speech.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
26 Apr. 2026
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His emotional reaction to the announcement of his name was caught on camera during the draft telecast.—
Steve Megargee,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Even without Bosa, 20 sacks is a pathetic number for a franchise that through the years has included fearsome edge players such as Tommy Hart, Cedrick Hardman, Charles Haley and Aldon Smith.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
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With Juan Soto still sidelined, Alvarez has recently moved up to fifth in a so-far pathetic Mets lineup.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 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
-
But the war ended, and the smog didn’t, and L.A. wiped its weepy red eyes and demanded some solutions, dammit.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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For years, the Oscars’ in memoriam segment has been scored with weepy music and sentimental ballads.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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 27 Apr. 2026.
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