bleary
/'bliəri/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Indistinct or hazy in appearance: Used to describe something that is not clear or sharp in outline, often because it is seen through tears, sleep, or a lack of focus.
- Tired to the point of exhaustion: Used to describe eyes or a person that appear weary, unfocused, and heavy-lidded, typically from lack of sleep or fatigue.
Usage Examples
- Describing vision or appearance:
- He peered at the map with bleary eyes after the long drive.
- The streetlights were just bleary smudges in the thick fog.
- Describing exhaustion:
- She gave a bleary yawn and stumbled out of bed.
- The bleary travelers finally arrived at the hotel at dawn.
Advanced Usage
- "bleary-eyed": This is a common compound adjective describing someone whose eyes are tired and vision is unfocused.
- The bleary-eyed students struggled to focus on the early morning lecture.
- "bleary with sleep/tears": A phrase used to specify the cause of the indistinct vision or tired appearance.
- Her face was bleary with tears.
- He was still bleary with sleep when he answered the phone.
Variants and Related Words
- Blear (verb, archaic/formal): To make (the eyes or vision) dim or blurred.
- Tears bleared her vision.
- Blearily (adverb): In a bleary manner.
- He looked blearily around the room.
Synonyms
- Blurred: Lacking clear outline or definition.
- Hazy: Covered by a haze; vague or indistinct.
- Misty: Full of or covered with mist; dim.
- Fuzzy: Having a frizzy, fluffy, or indistinct texture or outline.
- Weary: Feeling or showing tiredness.
Antonyms
- Clear: Easy to perceive, understand, or interpret; sharp in outline.
- Distinct: Recognizably different in nature from something else; clear and definite.
- Alert: Quick to notice any unusual and potentially dangerous or difficult circumstances; vigilant.
- Rested: Having regained one's energy by sleeping or relaxing.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- To have a bleary view of something: To have an unclear or unfocused understanding of a situation.
- After reading the complex report once, I only had a bleary view of the main issues.
- Bleary from lack of sleep: A common collocation explaining the cause of the condition.
- The new parents were bleary from lack of sleep.
Adjective
- indistinct or hazy in outline
- a landscape of blurred outlines
- the trees were just blurry shapes
- tired to the point of exhaustion