blear
/bliə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb:
- To make something dim, unclear, or indistinct, especially to the eyes or vision.
- To cause something to become hazy or blurred.
Adjective (archaic or literary):
- Dim, blurred, or filmy, often due to tears, tiredness, or sleep.
- (Of the eyes) Dull, watery, or inflamed.
Examples of Usage
- Verb:
- The morning fog began to blear the distant hills, softening their outlines.
- Tears bleared her vision as she read the letter.
- Adjective:
- He peered at me with blear eyes after a sleepless night. (Note: This adjectival use is less common in modern English.)
Advanced Usage
- "Bleared" is the more common past participle form used adjectivally in modern English to describe something that has been made blurry.
- His vision was bleared with fatigue.
- The bleared windows made it hard to see outside.
Variants and Related Words
- Bleary (adj): This is the most common modern adjective form, meaning dim, blurred, or tired-looking.
- She rubbed her bleary eyes.
- Blear-eyed (adj): Having eyes that are dim, tired, or watery.
- The blear-eyed student struggled to focus on the textbook.
Synonyms
- Verb: Blur, dim, obscure, cloud, befog.
- Adjective (Bleary): Blurred, filmy, foggy, misty, watery.
Related Phrases
- To blear someone's eyes: An older phrase meaning to deceive or trick someone (literally, to dim their perception).
- He tried to blear their eyes with false promises. (This usage is now very rare.)
Notes on Usage
- The verb "blear" is formal and somewhat literary. In everyday speech, "blur" is more frequently used.
- The adjective "blear" is largely archaic. The adjective "bleary" is standard in contemporary English.
Adjective
- tired to the point of exhaustion
Verb
- make dim or indistinct
- The fog blurs my vision