watery

adjective

wa·​tery ˈwȯ-tə-rē 

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

ˈwȯ-tə-rə-lē 

ˈwä-

adverb

wateriness

ˈwȯ-tə-rē-nəs 

ˈwä-

noun

Synonyms

• awash
• bathed
• bedraggled
• doused
• dowsed
• drenched
• dripping
• logged
• saturate
• saturated
• soaked
• soaking
• sodden
• soggy
• sopping
• soppy
• soused
• washed
• water-soaked
• watered
• waterlogged
• wet

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

The warming spring air is a welcome relief from the bitterly cold winter across much of the US, but millions of seasonal allergy sufferers are getting buried under a pollen tsunami, with sneezing, headaches, watery eyes, and stuffed sinuses sending them right back indoors. —Umair Irfan, Vox, 31 Mar. 2025

How symptoms of measles compare in children and adults According to the CDC, measles symptoms appear seven to 14 days after contact with the virus and typically include high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes. —Nathan Diller, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025

Measles is highly contagious and can cause a high fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, tiny white spots inside the mouth and a rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. —Katie Langford, Denver Post, 31 Mar. 2025

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash. —Devi Shastri, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing watery

• a watery grave

Rhymes for watery

• cautery
• lottery
• pottery

Kids Definition

watery

adjective

wa·​tery ˈwȯt-ə-rē 

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 soup

Medical Definition

watery

adjective

wa·​tery ˈwȯt-ə-rē, ˈwät- 

1

: consisting of or filled with water

2

: containing, sodden with, or yielding water or a thin liquid

a watery solution

watery stools