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
So there he sat, parked and bleary-eyed, a young father getting his PhD in coaching, unsure whether to go inside and sleep or turn the truck around.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2025
BBC journalist Thomas Mackintosh was among a few bleary-eyed Scots in Athens who attended a football match against Greece a few hours ago but were up before sunrise for a flight to Heathrow.
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2025
Around four in the morning, when it’s quieted down, Daddy comes in bleary-eyed and yawning.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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.
