Having tears in your eyes or looking like you're about to cry; emotional or sad.
From 'tear' (the liquid from your eye) + '-y' (adjective suffix). The word has been used since at least the 1500s to describe the emotional state of wanting to cry.
When you get teary, your body is actually using tears strategically—they blur your vision slightly, which research shows helps signal vulnerability and triggers compassion in other people. It's a biological communication tool!
Historically feminized as marker of emotional weakness/instability. Masculinity coded as stoicism; women's tears medicalized or pathologized (hysteria). Language naturalized emotional suppression in men and emotional labor visibility in women.
Use accurately to describe tear response without judgment. Avoid 'just being teary' as dismissal. Recognize emotional expression as valid regardless of gender.
["tearful","emotional","affected"]
Women's emotional work and expressiveness were systematically devalued; men's tears were historically unspeakable, enforcing harmful stoicism.
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