bleary

[bleer-ee]

See more synonyms for bleary on Thesaurus.com

adjective, blear·i·er, blear·i·est.

(of the eyes or sight) blurred or dimmed, as from sleep or weariness.
indistinct; unclear: The day begins with a bleary view of one's world.
fatigued; worn-out.

Origin of bleary

1350–1400; Middle English blery. See blear (adj.), -y¹

Related formsblear·i·ly, adverbblear·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for bleary

Contemporary Examples

It was just Mike Royko and his pal, Big Shack, and whatever their bleary musings happened to be that night three years ago.
The Stacks: John Schulian’s Classic Profile of Newspaper Columnist Mike Royko
John Schulian
January 5, 2014
We convened at the White Horse Tavern, under the glum and bleary eyes of Dylan Thomas, Norman Mailer, and Jack Kerouac.
Fire and Forget: After Homecoming, Veterans Collect Stories of War
Roy Scranton
November 26, 2012
It was like an electric shock to a group of editors operating in the bleary haze of jet lag, pasta, and fashion overabundance.
Milan Fashion Week's Malaise
Robin Givhan
September 23, 2011
Come bleary Friday morning, everyone will be itching to see what paid off for whom.
Runway vs. Housewives
Choire Sicha
August 19, 2009

Historical Examples

He was old and bleary, unmistakably dirty too—but he had divined Sidney's romance.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
"Yes, Miss," said the stranger, blinking at her with his bleary eyes.
The Vagrant Duke
George Gibbs
Then I stopped, for the man with the bleary eyes had shut the wicket in my face.
The Trail of '98
Robert W. Service
I recognised it in spite of the red blotches and the bleary film that hid the eyes.
Novel Notes
Jerome K. Jerome
Her eyes were bleary and red-rimmed, her breath reeked of porter.
Lady Bountiful
George A. Birmingham

British Dictionary definitions for bleary

bleary

adjective blearier or bleariest

(of eyes or vision) dimmed or blurred, as by tears or tiredness
indistinct or unclear
exhausted; tired

Derived Formsblearily, adverbbleariness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bleary

adj.

late 14c., from blear + -y (2). Related: Blearily; bleariness.

bleary

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}bleary

Related Words

Examples from the Web for bleary

Contemporary Examples

It was just Mike Royko and his pal, Big Shack, and whatever their bleary musings happened to be that night three years ago.

We convened at the White Horse Tavern, under the glum and bleary eyes of Dylan Thomas, Norman Mailer, and Jack Kerouac.

It was like an electric shock to a group of editors operating in the bleary haze of jet lag, pasta, and fashion overabundance.

Come bleary Friday morning, everyone will be itching to see what paid off for whom.

Historical Examples

He was old and bleary, unmistakably dirty too—but he had divined Sidney's romance.

"Yes, Miss," said the stranger, blinking at her with his bleary eyes.

Then I stopped, for the man with the bleary eyes had shut the wicket in my face.

I recognised it in spite of the red blotches and the bleary film that hid the eyes.

Her eyes were bleary and red-rimmed, her breath reeked of porter.

bleary

Word Origin and History for bleary

adj.

Origin of bleary