Standard Lemma guide

teary

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australian, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈtɪəɹi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˈtɪɹi/ General American, mirror–nearer merger
  • US: /ˈtɪɚi/ without the mirror–nearer merger
  • US: /ˈtiɹi/ without the mirror–nearer merger
  • Scotland: /ˈtiɹɪ/
  • Scotland: /ˈtiɹe/
  • New-Zealand: /ˈtiəɹi/
  • /ˈtɛːɹi/ East Anglia, cheer–chair merger
  • rhymes with -ɪəɹi
  • CMU ARPABET: T IH1 R IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of a person, having eyes filled with tears; inclined to cry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • No wonder Ryan was teary; he missed his parents.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cryey, sobful, weepy, crysome, lachrymate, lachrymose, larmoyant, maudlin, moist, tearful, teary, watery

Antonyms: dry-eyed

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of eyes, filled with tears.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Wade looked into his girlfriend's teary eyes.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: moist, tear-filled, wet

Antonyms: dry

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

with eyes full of tears

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: teary-eyed, watery-eyed

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English tery; equivalent to tear + -y.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: uslzený — filled with tears
  • Czech: slzavý — filled with tears
  • Finnish: kyyneleinen — filled with tears
  • French: larmoyant — filled with tears
  • German: larmoyant — filled with tears
  • Italian: lacrimoso — filled with tears
  • Māori: matawai — filled with tears
  • Māori: matawaia — filled with tears
  • Māori: toriwai — filled with tears
  • Māori: tōwahiwahi — filled with tears
  • Māori: tōwāwahi — filled with tears
  • Polish: łzawy — filled with tears
  • Russian: слёзный (sljóznyj) — filled with tears
  • Turkish: sulu gözlü — filled with tears