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Glite Dictionary
visually challenged

visually challenged

1 5.8
Not able to see well and often needing help to read or move around
  • adjective
  • /ˈvɪʒuəli ˈtʃælɪndʒd/
translation icon : persona con discapacidad visual
  • Pregnant women who fall within the low earnings class, bodily challenged people, visually challenged people, people dwelling in nursing properties, and folks dwelling in care facilities can get the benefits.

Examples

  • Pregnant women who fall in the low revenue class, physically challenged individuals, visually challenged people, folks living in nursing homes, and folks residing in care facilities can get the benefits.

    Blog text (23)

  • Many visually challenged individuals navigate their surroundings with the help of a cane.

  • The community center offers special programs for visually challenged children to help them learn and play.

  • He is visually challenged, but he enjoys reading braille books.

Synonyms

blind
vsvisually challenged
520 1.0

Unable to see because of illness, injury, or from birth

includes lesser degrees of vision loss not only total lack
visually impaired
vsvisually challenged
8 3.9

Having very little or no sight that makes seeing hard

is the alternative phrase for the same range of vision loss
sightless
vsvisually challenged
5 5.0

Not able to see, as a person or animal

covers reduced vision that can be partial rather than total
near-blind
vsvisually challenged
1 6.3

Able to see only a little

includes complete lack of vision as well as partial loss
dim-sighted
vsvisually challenged
8.6

Unable to see things clearly because you have weak eyes

emphasizes both partial and complete loss across degrees
purblind
vsvisually challenged
  • Archaic
9.9

Having very poor sight and hardly able to see

includes complete lack of vision as well as partial reduction
blindish
vsvisually challenged
  • Informal
8.2

Having some trouble seeing clearly

is broader, covering severe to minor vision loss
unsighted
vsvisually challenged
8.8

A person who cannot see

allows partial loss as well as complete absence of visual ability
unseeing
vsvisually challenged
7.0

Not able to see

also applies when vision is reduced rather than entirely absent
stone-blind
vsvisually challenged
8.4

Not able to see at all

is broader, including partial loss as well as total lack

Antonyms

sighted
1.3

A person who can see

clear-sighted
4.7

A person or animal that can see clearly, even far away

How Sighted

sighted
1.3
visually challenged
1 5.8
near-blind
1 6.3
blind
520 1.0

Surface Forms

visually challenged positive

Morphology

visually + challenged

The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'visually' relates to seeing and 'challenged' conveys having a difficulty or impairment, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer 'having difficulty seeing' or 'impaired vision'. This is a straightforward adjectival combination (a euphemistic variant of 'visually impaired') and follows a predictable semantic composition that B1 learners can derive from the parts.

Etymology

Visually challenged combines visually (about seeing) and challenged (facing a difficulty). One popular idea is that people began using this softer phrase instead of words like 'blind' or 'disabled', so it is used to mean someone has trouble 'seeing well'.