bleary

[ bleer-ee ]

adjective

, blear·i·er, blear·i·est.

1. (of the eyes or sight) blurred or dimmed, as from sleep or weariness.
2. indistinct; unclear:

   The day begins with a bleary view of one's world.

3. fatigued; worn-out.

bleary

/ ˈblɪərɪ /

adjective

1. (of eyes or vision) dimmed or blurred, as by tears or tiredness
2. indistinct or unclear
3. exhausted; tired

Derived Forms

• ˈbleariness, noun
• ˈblearily, adverb

Other Words From

• bleari·ly adverb
• bleari·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bleary¹

1350–1400; Middle English blery. See blear (adj.), -y ¹

Example Sentences

Their eyes bleary from a lack of sleep and reddened by the smoke hanging over the village, locals said they were trying their best to support one another.

From Los Angeles Times

The Atlanta rapper Future and superproducer Metro, each known for dark, bleary styles that defined the 2010s, have had a fruitful collaboration going back more than a decade.

From Los Angeles Times

For 90 tightly-wound minutes, Green mixes bleary naturalism and baked-in dread, as these modern women are exposed to the handsy, winking Neanderthal clientele, and the bar turns into a ticking time bomb.

From New York Times

The snow descended from the bleary sky in thick, heavy curtains, through a long night.

From Literature

In a propaganda video released by Hamas in January, there is a very different Itai - with sunken cheeks, bleary eyes, and a low voice.

From BBC