watery

/ˈwɔːtəri/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwɔːtəri/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwȯ-tə-rē ˈwä-/ (ame, mw)

watery — adjective

  • waterypositive
  • more waterycomparative
  • most waterysuperlative

1. containing a noticeable amount of water, or soaked through with water

1.形容詞B1
釋義

containing a noticeable amount of water, or soaked through with water

例句

After the storm, a watery layer of mud covered the garden path.

watery layer — describes a thin covering of water mixed with dirt

Eshe's eyes became watery as she sliced the fresh onions.

watery eyes — describes body fluids (tears)

同義詞
  • wet

    more general term; describes any surface or object covered with liquid

  • soggy

    suggests something has absorbed water and become soft or heavy, often unpleasant

  • waterlogged

    stronger, implies saturation to the point of being heavy or unusable

反義詞
  • dry

    free from water or moisture

  • arid

    extremely dry, especially of land or climate

用法筆記

The subject is usually a liquid, a body fluid such as tears, or a surface that is visibly wet. Distinguish from sense 2 (WEAK TASTE), which is limited to food and drink.

常見錯誤

❌The towel is watery after swimming.
✅The towel is wet after swimming.
💡'watery' describes something that contains water as a visible component (soup, eyes, liquid), not something whose surface is simply wet.
❌The grass is watery this morning.
✅The grass is wet / dewy this morning.
💡'watery' is not used for outdoor moisture from dew or rain.

2. having too much water added, so the natural flavour is lost or becomes very mild

2.形容詞B1
釋義

having too much water added, so the natural flavour is lost or becomes very mild

例句

Noa poured the watery soup back into the pot to add more seasoning.

watery soup — describes food with too much water and weak flavour

The coffee was so watery that Quinn could see the bottom of the white cup.

so watery that — emphasises the degree of dilution

同義詞
  • diluted

    more formal; describes a mixture where water or another liquid has been added

  • thin

    focuses on runny consistency rather than lost flavour

  • bland

    describes lack of flavour generally, not necessarily from added water

反義詞

用法筆記

Only applies to food and drink. Commonly used with soup, coffee, sauce, juice, stew — any edible item whose expected taste has been lost through dilution.

常見錯誤

❌The chicken meat tasted watery.
✅The chicken meat tasted bland / tasteless.
💡'watery' describes the texture of liquid or semi-liquid foods (soup, sauce, juice), not the flavour of solid meat.

3. lacking strength or depth of colour, so that the shade appears pale, thin, or fa

3.形容詞B2
釋義

lacking strength or depth of colour, so that the shade appears pale, thin, or faded — for example, weak sunlight on a grey day, or paint that has been thinned too much

例句

A watery winter sun hung low in the grey sky all afternoon.

watery sun — describes weak, pale sunlight

Saira mixed too much water into the paint and ended up with a watery blue.

同義詞
  • pale

    most common alternative; can describe any colour lacking depth

  • washed-out

    informal; suggests colour has faded from its original intensity

  • faint

    very weak in colour, almost not visible

反義詞
  • vivid

    bright and strong in colour

  • deep

    rich and intense in colour tone

  • rich

    full of colour, not pale or thin

用法筆記

Applies mainly to sunlight, sky colours, and paint. The meaning extends the physical idea of watery (thin, lacking substance) into the domain of visual intensity. Does not describe fabric colours — use 'pale' or 'faded' instead.

常見錯誤

❌She wore a watery blue dress.
✅She wore a pale blue dress.
💡'watery' for colour is natural with light, sky, and paint; for clothing use 'pale' or 'faded.'
❌The sunset was watery today.
✅The sunset colours were pale today.
💡'watery' modifies the light or colour itself, not the whole scene.