Definition

Having tears in the eyes or causing someone to cry; often used to describe a sad or emotional situation.

Example

She had a teary expression after watching the sad movie.

Conversation

Did you watch that new movie last night?

Yeah, it was so good, but also really teary.

I know, right? I couldn't help but cry at the end.

Same here! It was such a touching story.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Teary → It is formed from "tear" (from Old English *tǣr*, meaning a drop of clear salty liquid produced by glands in the eyes) and "-y" (a suffix used to form adjectives indicating a characteristic). The word "teary" describes something characterized by or full of tears.

Memory Tip

Think of 'tear' as the liquid that comes from your eyes when you cry, and the '-y' means having that quality. So, teary means having tears.

Visually Confused Words