watery

Everyday

1. Containing too much water; thin and weak: watery soup. tree →
2. Full of water or wet: watery eyes. tree →
3. Pale, weak in colour or light: a watery sun. tree →
4. Like water or connected with water: a watery grave. tree →

In the lessons

In cooking: watery sauces or tea are too thin. In health: watery eyes in hay fever or a cold. In stories and descriptions: a watery sun in winter, «a watery grave» (drowning at sea). Phrases: «watery eyes», «watery soup», «a watery smile».

Examples

• The soup was watery and tasteless. tree →
• My eyes go watery when I chop onions. tree →
• A watery sun peeped through the clouds. tree →
• She gave a watery smile through her tears. tree →
• The paint was too watery to cover the paper. tree →
• The pirates were sent to a watery grave. tree →
• Pleasure-boats, with their swelling sails, skim lightly over the watery mirror, like white butterflies. tree →

Note

Comparative: usually «more watery», sometimes «waterier». A watery smile is a weak, tearful one. Related: «waterproof», «watertight» have different meanings.