1
as in tired
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness
disoriented, bleary passengers departing from the red-eye
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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
If earlier iterations of the lesbian vampire film were Gothic and ornate, Nadja is more shoegaze, captured on bleary black-and-white videotape with an expressionistic flair.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
Watch enough football and every commercial break becomes an exercise in bleary déjà vu, as the spots that bowed in the first quarter begin repeating on you like so many lager burps.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Eternity mines its compelling conceit for both peppery comedy and bleary sentiment.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bleary
Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
If earlier iterations of the lesbian vampire film were Gothic and ornate, Nadja is more shoegaze, captured on bleary black-and-white videotape with an expressionistic flair.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
Watch enough football and every commercial break becomes an exercise in bleary déjà vu, as the spots that bowed in the first quarter begin repeating on you like so many lager burps.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Eternity mines its compelling conceit for both peppery comedy and bleary sentiment.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bleary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleary
Adjective
-
However, his attempts to introduce a more aggressive man-for-man pressing style also place higher physical demands on already tired players.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Even the film’s critic-defying, pinky-swearing fanbase may be disappointed in the barebones production, jarring plotting, tired dialogue and ham-handed staging.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The exact reasons are often left vague, and the successors to be determined, but people are leaving.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The exact reason remains vague, but some widespread cultural practice occurred across Central Europe.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Feeling a little funky, exhausted or sore can happen for a number of reasons, including perimenopause and menopause.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Tranquility notwithstanding, Suriel was exhausted.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The book portrays the city as a liminal metropolis where the line demarcating business and crime has been worn faint by heavy footfall from both directions.—
Mark O’Connell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
That's a whopping 500-meter--wide (1,640-foot) dish, ideal for picking up faint signals from far away.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
After four consecutive years of long springs stretching into summer, Connor McDavid and his teammates have looked weary.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Annie is battle weary this season.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Smoke from the fires has drifted far beyond South Georgia, with residents in Atlanta and across the metro area reporting a strong smell of burning and hazy skies.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
North and central Georgia are also expected to see hazy skies as smoke from fires in northern Florida and southern Georgia is carried northward, according to the National Weather Service in Atlanta.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bleary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleary. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
