Meaning & use

rheumy

adjective·Advanced

Describing eyes that are watery or dull, often because of age, illness, or tiredness.

See it in a sentence

The old sailor's rheumy eyes still lit up when he spoke of the sea.

Allergies left her eyes rheumy and red by the end of the afternoon.

A note on using this word

Rheumy is almost always used to describe eyes and often suggests age or frailty in literary description.

Words with a similar meaning

waterybleary

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “rheumy”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.