myopic

adjective

my·​o·​pic mī-ˈō-pik  -ˈä-pik 

1

: affected by myopia : of, relating to, or exhibiting myopia : nearsighted

It is likely the FDA will initially approve the procedure for severely myopic patients, though it is unclear what range of impaired vision will be included.

—Rhonda Rundle

In some eyes, the lens does not become flat enough to bring far objects in focus, although it focuses near objects well; people with such eyes are said to be myopic (nearsighted).

—Rita L. Atkinson et al.

2

: lacking in foresight or discernment : narrow in perspective and without concern for broader implications

Higher learning can offer individuals and societies a depth and breadth of vision absent from the inevitably myopic present.

—Drew Gilpin Faust

But only a myopic angler would fail to recognize the alarming signals in those unusual conditions.

—Pete Bodo

Like most who mutilate Chopin, he was musically myopic, fawning over each note instead of seeking the longer shape of a phrase, its arc and context, where the real beauty lay.

—Andrew Corsello

When he ran again in 2013, this time without a primary opponent, his campaign had an almost myopic focus on a subject dear to Republicans: job creation.

—Andy Kroll

myopically

mī-ˈō-pi-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈä-

adverb

After the Revolution the newly independent American states, governed by large elected legislatures, formed a loose confederation in which each state myopically pursued its own highly localized interests.

—Russell Baker

Did you know?

Myopia is a condition in which visual images come to a focus in front of the retina of the eye, resulting in defective vision of distant objects. Those with myopia can be referred to as myopic (or, less formally, nearsighted). Myopic can also describe someone who has trouble seeing things from a different perspective or considering the future consequences before acting. Myopic and myopia come from Greek myōps, which is based on myein (meaning "to close") and ōps ("eye").

Synonyms

• nearsighted
• shortsighted

Examples of myopic in a Sentence

he became so myopic that he finally broke down and got contact lenses

the myopic city designers who did not plan for growth

Recent Examples on the Web

Just like on Succession, the fragile egos, myopic intelligence, and delusional self-righteousness of these uber-wealthy nuts go haywire pretty quickly. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2025

At its worst, her rhetoric is bigoted and myopic, perpetuating antiblack stereotypes in her psychosexual analysis of racial hierarchy in the United States. —Audrey Wollen, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025

Minter and Kano fit into the good cop/bad cop roles pretty easily; Kano repeatedly dismisses Cameron’s ideas and insists on a legal name for Lump, still way too myopic in his thinking. —Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025

Conversational Prompting Be fluent and interactive when prompting while avoiding the myopic one-and-done mindset that many unfortunately seem to adopt when using generative AI. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for myopic

• anthropic
• atopic
• ectopic
• entropic
• adrenocorticotropic
• anisotropic
• gonadotropic
• heterotopic
• kaleidoscopic
• ophthalmoscopic
• stereoscopic
• submicroscopic

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Medical Definition

myopic

1 of 2 adjective

my·​o·​pic -ˈō-pik  -ˈäp-ik 

: affected by myopia : of, relating to, or exhibiting myopia

myopically

-(ə-)lē 

adverb

myopic

2 of 2 noun

: myope