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
In a teary scene — for both the characters and the audience — Joel comes clean about everything.
—
Noel Murray, New York Times, 19 May 2025
The Argentinean goalkeeper was teary, suggesting there might be some legitimacy to the speculation linking him with a summer switch to Saudi Arabia.
—Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
Right-hander German Marquez, who broke out of a slump to pitch the Rockies to a win on Sunday, was teary when talking about Black.
—Patrick Saunders, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2025
Flores, upon learning of the reports, grew visibly teary, but remained in the game because the deal was pending the standard medical review.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teary
Noel Murray, New York Times, 19 May 2025
The Argentinean goalkeeper was teary, suggesting there might be some legitimacy to the speculation linking him with a summer switch to Saudi Arabia.
—Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
Right-hander German Marquez, who broke out of a slump to pitch the Rockies to a win on Sunday, was teary when talking about Black.
—Patrick Saunders, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2025
Flores, upon learning of the reports, grew visibly teary, but remained in the game because the deal was pending the standard medical review.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teary
Adjective
-
Two screenshots from the video showing Ollie was a sad facial expression.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
-
The building directly across the street stands in sad disrepair, its windows smashed, swathed in graffiti, a front garage door hangs half-open.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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But no matter what happens next, Sunday's win and that tearful hug will be hard to top.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
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In a game played on a weekday morning UK time, and watched in schools and offices around the country, England’s tearful exit was the best possible promotion for the track.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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And on that depressing thought, that's how Squid Game ended.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
27 June 2025
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That’s a depressing setup, but the film is a lot gentler.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
23 June 2025
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The turmoil surrounding the museum’s direction ultimately seemed to be less about major alterations to the space than about a shift in emotional tone, a movement away from celebration and toward something like penance.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
Nevertheless, the squad needs to shift strategies and Sonny is here to take them from pathetic to aggressive.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2025
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Jarvis’ performance is transformative, making Mark both pathetic and feverishly alive, his corrosive remorse seemingly genuine.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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Comment At the end of the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Richard Strauss’s Salome, the soprano Elza van den Heever stayed onstage to accept the uproarious ovations with a weepy smile and a grateful tap on her heart.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2025
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Novelist Kazuo Ishiguro’s weepy cloning love-triangle story turned out to be apt source material for his friend Garland to adapt.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 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
Adjective
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Several days after this lachrymose dinner, a carnival-level event delighted Angelenos of either political persuasion.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2024
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Puccini later inserted a different, more lachrymose text, one that forecasts her suicide.—
Alex Ross,
The New Yorker,
23 Oct. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Teary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teary. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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