1
of the eyes or vision : dull or dimmed especially from fatigue or sleep
2
: poorly outlined or defined : dim
a bleary view
3
: very tired
bleary travelers
blearily adverb
bleariness noun

Examples of bleary in a Sentence

She looked at me with bleary eyes. disoriented, bleary passengers departing from the red-eye
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Laugh Lines: For Movie Buffs P.S. Feeling a little bleary today? Caroline Mimbs Nyce, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025 Underneath my soaked baseball cap, my eyes are dark and bleary, my face stubbled and worn. Gary Greenberg, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024 These people have already seen each other bleary eyed and mussed (and would probably overlook a little grocery-list making or other multitasking). Thomas Wiegand, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Aug. 2011 Gennaro, his eyes still red and bleary, has come home with track marks on his arms. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for bleary

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bleary was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bleary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bleary. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.

Medical Definition

bleary

adjective
of the eyes or vision
: dull or dimmed especially from fatigue or sleep

More from Merriam-Webster on bleary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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