bleary

adjective

ˈblir-ē How to pronounce bleary (audio)
Definition of blearynext
1
as in tired
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness disoriented, bleary passengers departing from the red-eye

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly the bleary outline of a fishing boat could just be seen through the fog

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bleary Half an hour before showtime, a bus pulled up and out straggled the bleary-looking Arkestra. — Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026 The action begins during Paris Fashion Week, where a supermodel played by Bella Hadid staggers down the catwalk sweaty and bleary eyed, itching to escape the confines of her red leather Balenciaga ensemble. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 5 Jan. 2026 He was surrounded by his boys from Alabama, trading cracks with a bleary grin. — Nick Stern, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025 These are essentially gothic works, in which bleary, nocturnal isolation opens a door to bizarre impulses and uncanny transformations. — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bleary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleary
  1. tired
  2. vague
  3. exhausted
  4. faint
  5. weary
  6. hazy
Adjective
  • Getting camera-ready Crawford never tired of redecorating her house throughout her 26 years there and had a long collaborative relationship with decorator William Haines.
    — Megan Johnson, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026
  • As such, the group designed this high-tech salve to revive tired skin on a cellular level, but also with a little mood boost.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of tired
Adjective
  • Recent criticism The century-old restaurant guide is famous for its secrecy; its inspectors are anonymous and the company releases only vague information about their evaluation process.
    — Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The plaintiffs had argued those terms were vague, and that the council selectively used them to silence prominent critics, violating their First Amendment rights.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of vague
Adjective
  • The buck, tongue lolling, looked exhausted from chasing and breeding his doe.
    — Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 14 Oct. 2026
  • If a year in, the founder is still in every meeting and the new hire is the most exhausted person in the building, the company did not hire an operator.
    — Ken Paskins, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhausted
Adjective
  • While the planets in our solar system are still visible, sky glow obscures more distant objects, such as fainter stars.
    — Chris McMullen, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Pulse, the faintest signal tested, produced 50 to 100 millivolts.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of faint
Adjective
  • From $4 gas and 7% mortgage rates to surging airfares, the Iran war is significantly raising the cost of living for inflation-weary consumers ahead of the midterm elections.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Popular at American Chinese or Cajun-style Chinese restaurants, the sticky-sweet chicken is the utter definition of delicious, luring weary shoppers into food courts to find refuge from the bubblegum pink sweatpants and ripped denim.
    — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of weary
Adjective
  • But the movie is a little hazy about what the father may have actually done.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The story takes place during the course of one evening, in a hazy spiritual plane where anguished souls are caught between life and the hereafter.
    — Jane Bua, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of hazy

Browse Nearby Words

blears
bleary
bleary-eyed
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Cite this Entry

“Bleary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleary. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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