What does blearing mean?
Blearing is the present participle of the verb "blear," meaning to make the eyes dim, watery, or blurred — usually through weeping, smoke, dust, or fatigue. It appears mostly in literary and descriptive writing: a room full of peat smoke may be said to be blearing someone's eyes, or long hours of reading may leave a person blearing over the page. The word belongs to a small family that includes the verb "blear" itself and the far more familiar adjective "bleary," as in "bleary-eyed." Because the everyday work of this idea is usually carried by "bleary" or by verbs such as "blur" and "cloud," "blearing" has an archaic, evocative flavor that suits atmospheric prose rather than ordinary conversation.
verb (present participle)The present participle of "blear": to make the eyes dim or watery, or to blur vision, typically from weeping, smoke, or strain.
- (of tears, smoke, etc.) to make (the eyes) dim, watery, or inflamed
- (rare) to blur or dim (vision or sight)
"The peat smoke filled the cottage, blearing her eyes until she could hardly see the fire."
"She wiped away the smoke, blearing her eyes as she tried to read the letter."
"Hours of squinting at the tiny print left him blearing and rubbing his eyes."
Before photography had "blur," English speakers reached for "blear" when smoke and tears made the world go soft at the edges.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blearing
Blearing derives from the verb "blear," recorded in Middle English, whose further origins are uncertain though it has been linked to similar Germanic forms. The word has been used since medieval times for eyes dimmed by tears or smoke and survives most robustly in the adjective "bleary" and the compound "blear-eyed."
Related word forms
How blearing is actually used
A literary or somewhat old-fashioned verb, most often encountered in descriptive prose about smoke, weeping, or eye strain. Far more common in its participial adjective form "bleary" (as in "bleary-eyed").
Easily confused with blearing
"Blaring" means sounding loudly and harshly (as a horn or music), while "blearing" refers to making the eyes dim or watery.