What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
teary
Example
She had a teary look in her eyes after watching the sad movie. [teary: adjective]
Example
The teary farewell of the couple moved everyone at the airport. [teary: noun]
tearful
Example
The little girl was tearful after losing her favorite toy. [tearful: adjective]
Example
He gave a tearful speech at his retirement party. [tearful: adjective]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Tearful is more commonly used than teary in everyday language. Tearful is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while teary is less common and is often used in more informal contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between teary and tearful?
Both teary and tearful are considered informal and are not typically used in formal writing or speech.
