bleary-eyed
Americanadjective
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having bleary eyes.
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dull of perception; shortsighted.
adjective
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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
By the time dinner was over, the last thing I wanted to do was return to the kitchen — which meant greeting the wreckage the next morning, bleary-eyed, just trying to make coffee.
From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2025
I’ve been wanting to come to Surya since it opened in the bleary-eyed re-emergence of 2021 as a beacon of peace and calm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2025
Finally, I locate the correct exit and, bleary-eyed, take a taxi home.
From BBC ● May 23, 2025
I peek through the curtains, and it’s a sea of bleary-eyed freshmen and seniors.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
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.
