🏊 Moving in water 😢 Full of tears

swimming

6.9

Having eyes full of tears as if you are about to cry

adjective
/ˈswɪmɪŋ/

: lloroso

After the movie ended, I noticed her swimming eyes as she tried to hold back tears.

Examples

His swimming eyes revealed the depth of his emotions during the heartfelt speech.
She had a look of swimming eyes when she heard the sad news.
I wanted to play you the first song on Cowboy Tears drowned the world in a swimming pool of sorrow.
The sheer dress you wore kneeling in my dream and the at the creek's edge and the light swimming through it.

Synonyms

tearful

vsswimming

26 1.8

Showing you are about to cry because of a strong feeling

is neutral about cause, describing the physical state without emotional cause

teary

vsswimming

21 2.0

Having eyes that look ready to cry

is used specifically for eyes being filled or about to overflow

teary-eyed

vsswimming

9 3.2

With eyes full of tears because of strong feeling or something in the eye

is neutral about cause, focusing on the state rather than emotion

misty-eyed

vsswimming

5 4.8

Eyes are wet with tears because of strong feeling

is about full tear filling rather than a soft blur from feeling

watery-eyed

vsswimming

1 4.1

Having eyes full of tears and looking as if about to cry

is stronger and refers to full tear filling rather than slight moisture

Antonyms

dry

791 1.0

Not wet or without any liquid

Compounds

swimming pool

122 1.0

A large place filled with water for people to swim in

swimming trunks

9 1.1

Shorts that men or boys wear for swimming

swimming hole

7 3.7

A small natural pool in a river or stream where people swim

swimming cap

1 1.0

A tight hat that keeps hair dry while you swim

swimming costume

1 1.3

A tight piece of clothing you wear in the water

swimming event

1 2.2

A competition where people or teams race by swimming

swimming bath

Archaic

1.9

An indoor pool for swimming

swimming crab

3.5

A sea crab with back legs flat like paddles that help it swim in shallow coastal water

swimming stroke

3.0

A way of moving arms and legs in water to swim forward

swimming style

3.1

A particular way of swimming, like freestyle or breaststroke

swimming kick

2.3

A repeated leg movement in swimming that pushes the body forward

swimming meet

2.5

An event where swimmers race for their team or club

How Tearful

effusion of tears

7.7

swimming

6.9

teary-eyed

9 3.2

watery-eyed

1 4.1

Surface Forms

swimming positive

Morphology

swimming = swim (semi-transparent) = swim + ing

The adjectival use is a participial/metaphorical extension ('eyes filled with tears') from the verb 'swim' and is not strictly literal for a learner.

Etymology

Swimming (about eyes) also comes from the root swim, giving the idea of water and movement; it pictures eyes that are 'full of water' or about to 'overflow with tears'. That's why saying someone's eyes are swimming means they are very close to crying.