Skip to main content
dry eye

dry eye

1 4.0
A problem when the eyes do not make enough tears and feel uncomfortable
  • noun
  • /draɪ aɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ojo seco
  • After spending the whole day in the air-conditioned room, I experienced symptoms of dry eye by evening.
  • help relieve dry eye
  • dry eye syndrome
  • chronic dry eye

I myself even struggle a little bit from my dry eyes.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Untreated dry eye had left him almost completely blind.

    Blog text (31)
  • Staring at a computer screen for more than 2 hours per day can cause Computer Vision Syndrome, a real affliction that causes blurry vision, headaches, dry eyes, and can lead to long-term nearsightedness.

    Blog text (7)
  • Number one is in fact dry eye management.

  • I look around, I see a lot of dry eyes.

  • So if you have mild dry eyes, contacts are hard to wear.

  • Could I take the supplements while watching my dry eye symptoms and actually tracking that?

  • Recently, there is evidence in the ophthalmology literature that supplements or foods that contain such fatty acids may help with dry eyes.

    Blog text (26)
  • Dr. Sherman: Although there is an observation from the Nurses' Health Study that there is an association between fish oil intake and decreased risk of dry eye syndrome, there is no clinical trial evidence to support this yet.

    Blog text (9)
  • Many patients report feeling discomfort due to dry eye when they spend long hours staring at screens.

  • Dr. Smith explained that dry eye occurs when the eyes do not produce enough tears to keep them moist.

Synonyms

eye disease
vsdry eye
  • Specialized
2 3.3

A health problem that affects the eye and can harm vision

is a specific tear shortage causing irritation rather than any general eye disorder
conjunctivitis arida
vsdry eye
  • Specialized
7.1

A condition where the clear layer over the eye becomes very dry and irritated often from lack of vitamin A

describes lack of tear production causing irritation without naming specific nutritional cause

How Dry

xerophthalmus
  • Specialized
9.9
dry eye
  • Specialized
1 4.0
xerosis
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

dry eye singular
dry eyes plural

Morphology

dry + eye

The meaning is directly built from 'dry' (not wet) + 'eye' (vision organ), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer a condition in which the eyes lack moisture or tears. This is a literal, compositional compound common across languages (e.g. 'ojos secos', 'yeux secs'), making it immediately understandable rather than idiomatic.

Etymology

The phrase dry eye comes from the simple picture of an eye that is too dry to make enough tears. Because the eye needs tears to stay comfortable, dry eye now means the condition of 'not enough tears' and 'irritation'.