bleary-eyed
Americanadjective
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having bleary eyes.
-
dull of perception; shortsighted.
adjective
-
with eyes blurred, as with old age or after waking
-
physically or mentally unperceptive
Etymology
Origin of bleary-eyed
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Eastern on July 20, bleary-eyed kids were rousted from their beds so they could tell their grandchildren they witnessed an epic event.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Of course, as any bleary-eyed obsessive knows, the real guy is most likely dead at this point, but don’t call filmmaker Charlie Shackleton late to the game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2025
Inside the Palais, bleary-eyed attendees are treated to gratis espresso.
From Seattle Times ● May 14, 2024
She posted frequently, mostly memes about mental illness and extreme close-ups of her face, bleary-eyed like she’d been crying.
From Salon ● May 7, 2024
She was completely disheveled, covered with dust, bleary-eyed, and doubled over from the pain of the contractions with which Alba was pushing her way out.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
