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 people have already seen each other bleary eyed and mussed (and would probably overlook a little grocery-list making or other multitasking).
—
Thomas Wiegand, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Aug. 2011
Gennaro, his eyes still red and bleary, has come home with track marks on his arms.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2024
Deir al-Balah, Gaza CNN — Abu Mohammed stands with red, bleary eyes.
—Abeer Salman, CNN, 19 Oct. 2024
More than a few of our out-of-town guests staggered around the ceremony, bleary eyed, having tossed and turned the previous night with headaches.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 16 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bleary
Thomas Wiegand, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Aug. 2011
Gennaro, his eyes still red and bleary, has come home with track marks on his arms.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2024
Deir al-Balah, Gaza CNN — Abu Mohammed stands with red, bleary eyes.
—Abeer Salman, CNN, 19 Oct. 2024
More than a few of our out-of-town guests staggered around the ceremony, bleary eyed, having tossed and turned the previous night with headaches.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 16 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bleary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleary
Adjective
-
At this point in the Trump show, the famously unpredictable president seems to be following a script as tired as any other long-running, low-brow procedural.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
5 May 2025
-
He’s grown tired of being optioned back and forth from the minor leagues.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Adjective
-
Some vague stripes run down its spine, blurring together toward its tail.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
9 May 2025
-
The instructions were vague and didn’t have many helpful illustrations.—
Kate Puhala,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
Humanitarian groups like the UN World Food Programme (WFP) exhausted supplies of basic staples weeks ago, forcing them to shut down their kitchens and bakeries, and everyday Palestinians are grinding up pasta and lentils to make flour for bread.—
NPR,
NPR,
14 May 2025
-
They'll be joined by a familiar face: The Office's Óscar Martínez, an exhausted accountant played by Oscar Nuñez.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
Indeed, hung on the walls are vintage Italian posters and the floor is composed of alternating rust, black, and white tiles; walls are painted with a faint green Venetian plaster.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
2 May 2025
-
The piece resembling an Aeolian harp is a tall rectangle, and its strings should make faint sounds as the wind blows through them.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
The sleep aide wakes up the weary with customizable light settings and soothing sounds—not to mention, will look like total eye candy on her nightstand.—
Sarah Madaus,
Architectural Digest,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Tym Brown adds fine support as the school’s weary and worn-down principal.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Better yet, each of their seven studio albums was better than the previous one, culminating with 1992’s Dynamo — seeped in shoegaze guitars — and 1995’s psychedelic magnum opus Sueño Stereo, a dreamlike, hazy swan song for the ages.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
3 May 2025
-
The vintage/modern taproom located in Maui’s upcountry serves up a variety of brews, including a hazy IPA, imperial stout, brown ale, blonde, lager and several sours.—
Ben Davidson,
Mercury News,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bleary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleary. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share