watery

adjective

wa·​tery ˈwȯ-tə-rē How to pronounce watery (audio)
ˈwä-
1
a
: consisting of, filled with, or surrounded by water
b
: containing, sodden with, or yielding water or a thin liquid
a watery solution
watery vesicles
2
a
: resembling water or watery matter especially in thin fluidity, soggy texture, paleness, or lack of savor
watery sunlight
a watery soup
watery diarrhea
b
: exhibiting weakness and vapidity : wishy-washy
a watery writing style
waterily adverb
wateriness noun

Examples of watery in a Sentence

The pollen caused her eyes to become watery. The soup was watery and had no flavor. the watery light of winter
Recent Examples on the Web Antihistamines can be great at relieving allergy symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes. Daniel More, Verywell Health, 9 Mar. 2024 Symptoms may include fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes and a rash of red spots. Mira Cheng, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 The texture may be watery or slimy, which may be a sign of bacterial growth. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2024 The letter said that parents should watch for symptoms of measles — high fever, rash, red, watery eyes — but did not encourage vaccination. Erika Edwards, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024 The County Public Health Department says people with measles will experience: High fever Cough Runny nose Red or watery eyes A rash will appear three to five days after transmission and start on the forehead, spreading downward to the rest of the body. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 Symptoms can appear 7 to 14 days after contact with the virus and can include a cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, a high fever up to 105 degrees and a rash. Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024 An infected person can be contagious for four days before symptoms appear, including the telltale rash, fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes. Terry Spencer The Associate Press, arkansasonline.com, 25 Feb. 2024 Symptoms typically begin to appear a week or two after infection, and can include a cough, runny nose, fever and red, watery eyes. Katie Mogg, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'watery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of watery was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near watery

Cite this Entry

“Watery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/watery. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

watery

adjective
wa·​tery ˈwȯt-ə-rē How to pronounce watery (audio)
ˈwät-
1
a
: consisting of or filled with water
a watery hole
b
: containing or giving out water or a thin liquid
a watery mixture
watery eyes
2
: being like water especially in thinness, sogginess, paleness, or lack of taste
watery lemonade
watery soup

Medical Definition

watery

adjective
1
: consisting of or filled with water
2
: containing, sodden with, or yielding water or a thin liquid
a watery solution
watery stools

More from Merriam-Webster on watery

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