nearsighted

American  

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

adjective

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

2. shortsighted.

---

Other Word Forms

• nearsightedly adverb
• nearsightedness noun

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

Example Sentences

Believing himself too old and nearsighted to serve in uniform, Strong instead exhausted himself and much of his fortune serving without pay for four years as treasurer of the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

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

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2023

“The biggest predictor of how nearsighted you’re going to be, is when you become nearsighted,” says Jeffrey Walline, an optometrist and associate dean of research at The Ohio State University.

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