1
as in sad
causing unhappiness
a teary ending to what had been up to that point a lighthearted movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of teary
Depp plays her character’s final moments with an array of conflicting emotions that let us into Ellen’s mind, from teary resignation to sensual seduction to bitter determination.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2025
On Wednesday, February 5, a teary Ripa shared that a vet had come to her family's New York City home to put the 17-year-old Shih Tzu to sleep.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón addressed recently resurfaced social media posts during a teary, hour-long CNN en Español interview on Sunday.
—Abby Monteil, Them, 4 Feb. 2025
Fellow nominee Sabrina Carpenter looked teary eyed when the camera panned to her following Roan’s speech.
—Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teary
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2025
On Wednesday, February 5, a teary Ripa shared that a vet had come to her family's New York City home to put the 17-year-old Shih Tzu to sleep.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón addressed recently resurfaced social media posts during a teary, hour-long CNN en Español interview on Sunday.
—Abby Monteil, Them, 4 Feb. 2025
Fellow nominee Sabrina Carpenter looked teary eyed when the camera panned to her following Roan’s speech.
—Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teary
Adjective
-
Yet, whatever the deal means for Paul, Weiss, its acquiescence to Trump marks a sad day for the legal profession—or what once was a profession, and is now just another business.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Kwong grew up hearing stories of every kind about Manzanar—scary, sad, funny and infuriating.—
Rachel Ng,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The episode closes on them enjoying a long, tearful, joyful embrace.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Post-match, a tearful Tomkins expressed his gratitude to the club and the supporters.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Some people thought that was too depressing or whatever.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Many learned the depressing answer only when trying to scan badges and getting rejected by security, which treated them more or less like trespassers.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Her emotional response and (to be fair, unethical) choice to threaten the guy suggest to the viewer that Dr. Santos herself experienced a similar kind of trauma as a child.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
10 Apr. 2025
-
For Liv in particular, their idea of what that final ride on the plane was going to be was an emotional one.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Hechinger is the perfect choice for the role, bringing just the right of optimism and obliviousness to an endearingly pathetic dork who finds the opportunity to be heroic.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Successful long ago, Shelley is no longer a selling Machine of any sort, and mostly just begs for a break in comically desperate appeals that ping-pong from belligerent to pathetic.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The music icon confessed to getting weepy about aging during a bonus episode of the podcast Smartless, which was released to subscribers on Tuesday, March 25 — John's 78th birthday.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Zoe Saldaña got weepy and impassioned in an acceptance speech that honored her immigrant parents as well as her Dominican heritage.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
3 Mar. 2025
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
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
-
Several days after this lachrymose dinner, a carnival-level event delighted Angelenos of either political persuasion.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2024
-
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 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share