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
There, Sam unleashes reams upon reams of monologues about their past at a teary Mary, who fills in a few gaps.
—
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2026
There, Sam unleashes reams upon reams of pent-up monologuing about their past while a teary Mary fills in a few gaps.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Still, nothing sparked quite as many headlines—or joyfully teary social media Reels—as the closing moments of episode five.
—Cameron Sperance, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for teary
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2026
There, Sam unleashes reams upon reams of pent-up monologuing about their past while a teary Mary fills in a few gaps.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Still, nothing sparked quite as many headlines—or joyfully teary social media Reels—as the closing moments of episode five.
—Cameron Sperance, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for teary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teary
Adjective
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And that is what is, to use Hill's phrase, terribly sad.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
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The sad thing for me is that, as a young actor, there was a platform for small independent films that were interesting.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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And as commissioner of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, the former Dodgers assistant general manager has been fielding lots of tearful feedback from fans overcome by the fact that softball players finally, finally have a big league of their own.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
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Some epic scenes were invented wholesale, like a tearful reunion between Louis and Lestat in their old New Orleans home as a hurricane rages around them.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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When Aston Villa supporters reflect on the growing stature of their club, many like to compare the euphoria with the dark and depressing times of the recent past.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
10 Dec. 2025
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Following that news, the Fighting Irish decided to decline their bowl game invitation, ending a depressing finish to what had been a great all-around season.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Mexico forward Raul Jimenez paid an emotional tribute to his former teammate Diogo Jota after scoring a crucial equalizer against the United States in Sunday’s Concacaf Gold Cup final.—
Martin Rogers,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
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Stoner, a Disney Channel veteran, first opened up about their sexuality in 2018, penning an emotional essay for Teen Vogue.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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Sports make people a little pathetic.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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Williams didn't portray Peter Banning as pathetic.—
Cynthia Pelayo,
PEOPLE,
8 June 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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The Mouse House also seems dead set on retconning all of its best villains, with recent movies giving weepy sob stories to Cruella de Vil, Maleficent and Scar to explain away their cruelty.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
24 May 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
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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 Jun. 2026.
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