bleary-eyed
Americanadjective
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having bleary eyes.
-
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
Time to move out and grow up, we thought, or at least channel more time into bleary-eyed Football Manager saves.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer stopped by briefly Tuesday to fire up the crowd, which was bleary-eyed after the convention running late Monday and the after-parties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2024
Inside the Palais, bleary-eyed attendees are treated to gratis espresso.
From Seattle Times ● May 14, 2024
He was sitting bleary-eyed on the mattress, his elbows on his knees.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
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.
