blear

¹blear

transitive verb \ˈblir\

Definition of BLEAR

1

: to make (the eyes) sore or watery

2

: dim, blur

Examples of BLEAR

1. <her image was bleared, as if I were staring at it through a watery lens>

Origin of BLEAR

Middle English bleren, probably from Old English *blerian; akin to Low German bleer-oged bleary-eyed

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to BLEAR

Synonyms

becloud, bedim, befog, blacken, cloud, blur, darken, dim, dislimn, fog, fuzz (up), haze, mist, obscure, overcast, overcloud, overshadow, shadow, shroud

Antonyms

brighten, illuminate, illumine, light (up), lighten

Related Words

adumbrate, blot out, conceal, eclipse, hide, obliterate, screen, shade; camouflage, cloak, cover, curtain, disguise, mask, veil

Near Antonyms

expose, reveal, uncover, unveil

Rhymes with BLEAR

beer, bier, cere, cheer, clear, dear, deer, Deere, drear, ear, fear, fere, fleer, gear, hear, here, jeer, leer, mere, mir, near, peer, pier, Pierre, queer, rear, schmear, sear, seer, sere, shear, sheer, skirr, smear, sneer, spear, speer, sphere, steer, tear, tier, Trier, Tyr, veer, weir, year

²blear

adjective

Definition of BLEAR

1

: dim with water or tears

2

: obscure to the view or imagination

Examples of BLEAR

1. <I can't describe him; all I saw was a blear figure for an instant.>

First Known Use of BLEAR

14th century

Related to BLEAR

Synonyms

faint, bleary, blurry, dim, foggy, fuzzy, gauzy, hazy, indefinite, indistinct, indistinguishable, misty, murky, nebulous, obscure, opaque, pale, shadowy, unclear, undefined, undetermined, vague

Antonyms

clear, definite, pellucid

Related Words

dark, dusky, gloomy; impalpable, inappreciable, intangible, invisible; hieroglyphic (also hieroglyphical), incomprehensible, indecipherable, indiscernible, inexplicable, mysterious, obfuscatory, puzzling

Near Antonyms

bright, distinct, evident, obvious, plain; certain, firm, strong, sure