teary-eyed

IPA/ˈtɪə.ri ˈaɪd/
IPA/ˈtɪr.i ˌaɪd/

teary-eyed — adjective

1. A person who is teary-eyed has tears in their eyes, either because they are cryi

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

A person who is teary-eyed has tears in their eyes, either because they are crying or because they feel a very strong emotion such as happiness, gratitude, or sadness.

Example

Hari became teary-eyed when he received the surprise birthday gift from his coworkers.

predicative: became + teary-eyed

The teary-eyed bride hugged her father before walking down the aisle.

attributive: teary-eyed + role noun (bride)

Common collocations
  • teary-eyed bride / mother / friend
  • teary-eyed apology / speech / goodbye
  • become / grow / get teary-eyed
Synonyms
  • tearful

    broader meaning; can describe a voice, an atmosphere, or a person, not just the eyes

  • weepy

    informal; often suggests a tendency to cry easily rather than a single teary moment

  • misty-eyed

    specifically suggests sentimental or nostalgic tears rather than sadness or pain

Antonyms

Usage Note

Commonly used both before a noun (attributive) and after a linking verb such as 'be,' 'become,' or 'grow' (predicative). Often describes reactions to emotionally moving events like weddings, reunions, or farewells.

Common Mistakes

He was crying on the floor, teary-eyed.
He was teary-eyed during the emotional ceremony.
'teary-eyed' describes having tears in the eyes but does not mean full sobbing or crying on its own.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four describe showing or being near tears, but they differ in focus and register. 'Teary-eyed' is the most literal — it specifically refers to visible tears in the eyes, regardless of whether the person is actually sobbing. 'Tearful' is broader; it can describe a person, voice, letter, or even an atmosphere ('a tearful goodbye'), and it does not always imply visible tears. 'Weepy' is informal and often carries a tone of mild annoyance or exaggeration ('I feel weepy today'). 'Misty-eyed' is warmer and more poetic, typically used for sentimental or nostalgic moments rather than grief or pain ('He got misty-eyed watching the old home videos'). 'Crying' describes the action itself rather than the state of having tears. Use 'teary-eyed' when you want to focus on the physical sign of emotion — the eyes — without specifying how intense the crying is.

tearful ↗weepy ↗misty-eyed ↗crying ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • teary-eyed with emotion
  • teary-eyed with joy
  • teary-eyed with gratitude

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The word combines 'teary' (from 'tear,' the drops of salty water that fall from the eyes when crying, plus the adjective suffix '-y') with 'eyed' (from 'eye' plus '-ed,' meaning 'having a particular kind of eyes'). It has been in use since the mid-1900s as a compound adjective describing visible emotion.