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Glite Dictionary
bleary

bleary

9 6.8
Your eyes look blurred and tired because you did not sleep
  • adjective
  • /ˈblɪəri/
translation icon : borroso
  • " She actually said that to me, as I stared at her, bleary-eyed, from the foot of her bed.
  • bleary-eyed

Just go back to commenting on Glens bleary red eyes, how he looks high in every picture.

Examples

  • In a moment, my eyes are bleary.

    The Brutalist (2024)

  • You looked at me with bleary eyes and steadied yourself with a hand on the dashboard.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Then he saw, through his bleary vision, the other woman standing near.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Your eyes are bleary, there's less attention to detail.

    Trench (2018)

  • When he looked up at me, I saw nothing in his face, just bleary eyes and a provisional smile.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Bleary eyes, voice gone, he can't go on much longer.

    Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

  • And not only that, in his bleary, sleep-deprived fog, he begins to understand something happening down there.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • The people around the table watched bleary-eyed as another face flashed against the wall.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Frenzied and bleary-eyed, some of them looked like they hadn't slept in days.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • After staying up late to study, I woke up the next morning with bleary eyes.

Synonyms

fuzzy
vsbleary
111 3.7

Not clear or sharp like a blurred picture

refers to blurred physical sight caused by tiredness, not vague ideas
blurry
vsbleary
70 3.6

Looks unclear, so you cannot see details

is specifically about tired or unfocused eyes causing the indistinctness
hazy
vsbleary
49 3.9

Not clear because of mist or when you cannot remember it well

relates more to tired or unfocused vision than external mist or memory lapse
drowsy
vsbleary
22 2.7

Feeling sleepy and not fully awake, often because you are tired or bored

focuses on blurred or unfocused sight rather than general sleepiness
bleary-eyed
vsbleary
5 5.3

Having eyes that look tired from not enough sleep

emphasizes blurred or unfocused vision rather than just sleepy appearance
foggy
vsbleary
3 1.4

Not clear or easy to remember

means blur caused by tired eyes rather than by actual fog or mist
blurred
vsbleary
2 3.4

Not clear to see or understand, like a photo

adds the idea of tired eyes or exhaustion causing the blur
sleepy-eyed
vsbleary
1 4.0

Having eyes that look tired and like you want to close them

relates more to blurred or unfocused sight than mere drowsiness
blear-eyed
vsbleary
9.1

Eyes that look tired and blurred from lack of sleep

is about blurred or unfocused sight rather than only the eye's appearance
blear
vsbleary
9.9

Having eyes that look tired and cloudy

highlights blurred or unfocused vision rather than general weariness
bleared
vsbleary
7.4

Having eyes that do not see clearly because they are tired or have tears

is mainly due to sleep loss or exhaustion rather than eye irritation
muzzy
vsbleary
8.9

Something that looks blurred and hard to see

usually points to eye blur from sleep loss rather than general indistinctness

Antonyms

clear
40 1.0

Pure and distinct in sound or colour

vivid
23 3.0

Very bright and clear in color and easy to notice

How Blurry

hazy
49 3.9
bleary
9 6.8
clear
40 1.0

Surface Forms

bleary positive

Morphology

bleary = blear (transparent) = blear + y

The adjective is formed by standard addition of -y to the verb 'blear', so its meaning is directly derived from the base.

Etymology

The word bleary comes from an old verb blear, which meant 'to make dim' or 'to blur the eyes' and is like the familiar word blur. So, to be bleary is to have dim, 'blurred' eyes, usually because you are very tired.