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watery

American  
[waw-tuh-ree, wot-uh-] / ˈwɔ tə ri, ˈwɒt ə- /

adjective

  1. pertaining to or connected with water.

    watery Neptune.

  2. full of or abounding in water, as soil or a region; soggy; boggy.

  3. containing much or too much water.

    a watery paste; a watery batter.

    Synonyms:
    dilute, weak, thin
  4. soft, soggy, tasteless, etc., due to excessive water or overcooking.

    watery vegetables; a watery stew.

  5. tearful.

  6. of the nature of water.

    watery vapor.

  7. resembling water in appearance or color.

    eyes of a watery blue.

  8. resembling water in fluidity and absence of viscosity.

    a watery fluid.

  9. of poor or weak quality; thin, washy, or vapid.

    watery prose.

  10. consisting of water.

    a watery grave.

  11. discharging, filled with, or secreting a waterlike morbid substance.


watery British  
/ ˈwɔːtərɪ /

adjective

  1. relating to, consisting of, containing, or resembling water

  2. discharging or secreting water or a water-like fluid

    a watery wound

  3. tearful; weepy

  4. insipid, thin, or weak

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of watery

before 1000; Middle English; Old English wæterig. See water, -y 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Invented in the 1960s, jet skis ushered in either a glorious era in human recreation or an ongoing tragedy of our watery commons, depending on who you ask.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Kate Wollen from Forestry England describes the transformation as a "watery wonderland"

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Other apps might even be inclined to deploy a sunny icon, because technically it is going to be warm in most of that area, and watery only in a different section.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

Cyclosporiasis infection causes debilitating watery diarrhea, fatigue and loss of appetite with symptoms lasting anywhere between a few days to a month or longer without treatment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

“These are for you,” Velia said, taking the vase out of my hands and presenting them to Mamá, who gave us a watery smile and took them with great appreciation.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

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