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

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 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 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 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
  • His handicapping merited attention and newsletter sales, but Steele soon tired of tipping his own hand to the oddsmakers in Vegas.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • More and more young people are turning toward low- or no-tech lives, tired of the endless scroll most of us face for hours each day.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of tired
Adjective
  • Schedule the appointment, set the reminder, protect the rest window, and let one steady step make the pressure feel less vague.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026
  • However, the piece maintains that vague assurances are not enough and that Becerra should commit to a specific time and place, framing a face-to-face debate as an obligation rather than a tactical option.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of vague
Adjective
  • The offense was unproductive, the bullpen exhausted and starters gassed after several extra-inning games and three sticky games against the Cardinals.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Such weapons are proving increasingly difficult for Kyiv to shoot down, with supplies of US Patriot interceptors – one of the few systems capable of taking down ballistic missiles pretty much exhausted.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of exhausted
Adjective
  • With all those stars clumped together, even fainter globular clusters will typically be easier to spot than the smaller variety.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • For astronomers, these satellites would become a nightmare for observations, crowding out and obscuring fainter objects or even challenging the Milky Way’s prominence with their glare.
    — Arielle Frommer, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of faint
Adjective
  • As competition intensifies, Walmart and Kroger are lowering prices across the board to appeal to inflation-weary, cost-conscious consumers.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Within years, the iconoclastic comic was a weary and defeated man — broke, baggy-eyed, and prematurely old.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of weary
Adjective
  • Ivan’s room feels practically airless, his face obscured in shadows, or captured in hazy side profiles, as Anica’s bright, concerned gaze holds the frame’s focus.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The cutter has been great for the supinating Cavalli, but the benefit of a new pitch is hazier with some of the small sample guys.
    — Eno Sarris, New York Times, 20 Aug. 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 27 Aug. 2026.

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