nearsighted

American  

[neer-sahy-tid, -sahy-] / ˈnɪərˌsaɪ tɪd, -ˈsaɪ- /

adjective

1. seeing distinctly at a short distance only; myopic.

2. shortsighted.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nearsightedness
  noun
• nearsightedly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of nearsighted

First recorded in 1680–90; near + sight + -ed ³

Compare meaning

How does nearsighted compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• nearsighted vs. farsighted

Explanation

If you're nearsighted, you can't read distant signs or maybe even distinguish between different people from far away. Nearsighted people need to wear glasses, especially when they're driving. When someone is "farsighted," they see far-off objects well, but have trouble with close-up things like the print in a book or newspaper. In contrast, being nearsighted means you can read a magazine with no problem, but you need contacts or glasses in order to bring distant objects into focus. A more formal word for nearsighted is myopic.

Example Sentences

Studies have found that the more time kids spend outdoors, the less likely they are to become nearsighted.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

If the eye grows too long, it becomes myopic or nearsighted.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2023

“Kids are becoming nearsighted at rates that are faster than we’ve ever seen before,” says Nick Onken, an optometrist at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

From National Geographic • Nov. 1, 2023

He said, "You're extremely nearsighted and that means you are at more risk of having a detached retina, and if that happens, we want to catch it right away because it can affect your vision."

From Salon • May 4, 2023

A sewing machine for nearsighted Mrs. O’Reilly, who was forever tailoring old clothes for her triplets, Sean, Seamus and Stephen.

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord