nearsighted

Elementary (A2)

IPA: /ˈnɪrˌsaɪtɪd/

KK: /ˈnɪrˌsaɪtɪd/

adjective

Definition

Having difficulty seeing objects that are far away, while being able to see things that are close clearly.

Example

She is nearsighted and needs to wear glasses to read the board in class.

Conversation

I finally got my eyes checked yesterday.

Oh really? What did they say?

They told me I'm a bit nearsighted, so I might need glasses.

That’s not too bad! Glasses can be really stylish these days.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

myopic

shortsighted

blind

Antonyms

farsighted

clear-sighted

visionary

Root Explanation

Nearsighted → It is formed from "near" (from Old English *neah*, meaning close) and "sighted" (from "sight" which comes from Old English *sīht*, meaning the ability to see). The word "nearsighted" describes the condition of being able to see objects that are close but having difficulty seeing those that are far away.

Memory Tip

Think of being able to see things that are 'close' ('near') but having trouble with things that are 'far away' — that's what nearsighted means.

Visually Confused Words

unfarsighted

undersighted