dewy-eyed

comparative more dewy-eyed · superlative most dewy-eyed · alternative archaic dew-eyed

1. Having eyes with a moist, glistening appearance, especially as indicating that one is on the verge of crying or that one is experiencing strong emotions.

   One she saw clearly—a dewy-eyed, lovely woman who murmured loving, broken words.

   c. 1910, Stewart Edward White, chapter 1, in The Call of the North

   2 more examples

   Bill Clinton has never shied away from displays of dewy-eyed, lip-biting sentimentality.

   2000 June 12, Romesh Ratnesar, “The Victory Lap?”, in Time Europe

   What does his wife, music teacher Caroline, think about his retiring to a quiet life in Wantage? "I think she's a bit dewy-eyed. She thinks it's going to be nice to spend more time with me. I have to take time to decompress from a job like this for so long, but coming from that to doing nothing would be very unhealthy."

   2025 September 17, Paul Clifton, “"You don't get the luxury of self-pity in this job, because the machine is continuing to churn problems at me" says Sir Andrew Haines”, in RAIL, number 1044, page 28

   Synonyms: misty-eyed, teary-eyed

2. figurativelyNaive or innocent in the manner of a child.

   At one moment he gave himself up completely to his pride at having captured this pretty, trustful, dewy-eyed thing!

   1918, John Galsworthy, “The Apple Tree”, in Five Tales

   1 more example

   Dowie could scarcely have told what phrase or word at last suddenly brought up before her a picture of the nursery in the house in Mayfair—the feeling of a warm soft childish body pressed close to her knee, the look of a tender, dewy-eyed small face and the sound of a small yearning voice saying: "I want to kiss you, Dowie."

   1922, Frances Hodgson Burnett, chapter 21, in Robin

   Synonyms: callow, green, wet behind the ears

3. figurativelyExcessively nostalgic.