bleary-eyed

[ bleer-ee-ahyd ]

adjective

1. having bleary eyes.
2. dull of perception; shortsighted.

bleary-eyed

adjective

1. with eyes blurred, as with old age or after waking
2. physically or mentally unperceptive

Word History and Origins

Origin of bleary-eyed¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

I remembered Heather’s feed as one bleary-eyed, desperate-looking selfie after another, hard to look at and hard to look away from.

From Salon

Given the extent of Sunday's celebrations, the Scots would be forgiven for showing up bleary-eyed just 48 hours later in Lille, but a side featuring eight changes held their own for periods despite the scoreline.

From BBC

As bleary-eyed migrants climbed onto the train early Saturday morning, they cheered as the train picked up speed and continued them on their winding route north.

From Seattle Times

The pitch for blue-light-filtering glasses is compelling: an easy way to counteract that bleary-eyed feeling that sets in after hours of scrolling on your phone or staring at a laptop.

From Seattle Times

I could imagine bleary-eyed students cramming on the night before a test or a term-paper deadline, reading the ostensible quotes and thinking that the author of my book must be an idiot.

From Salon