eye-wateringly

== English == === Alternative forms === eyewateringly === Adverb === eye-wateringly (comparative more eye-wateringly, superlative most eye-wateringly) In a manner or to a degree that causes one’s eyes to water or tear up, often due to an emotional situation or sentimental feelings, or due to shocking or exciting events. 2016, David Robert Grimes, quoted in Abby Ohlheiser, “Why the Internet’s biggest conspiracy theories don’t make mathematical sense,” Washington Post, 28 January, 2016,[1] I hope that by showing how eye-wateringly unlikely some alleged conspiracies are, some people will reconsider their anti-science beliefs. ==== Usage notes ==== This adverb is only used to modify adjectives, not verbs. As can be seen in some of the quotations above, it is increasingly used as a generic intensive, more or less equivalent to extremely.