myope
lowformal, literary, medical
Definition
Meaning
A person with myopia; a nearsighted person.
A person who is metaphorically short-sighted, lacking imagination, foresight, or intellectual breadth.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a noun, though occasionally used as an adjective (archaic/rare). The metaphorical sense is well-established in literary contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Slightly more likely to be used in literary contexts in British English, while American English tends to prefer 'myopic' as the adjective.
Connotations
In both varieties, the word carries a slightly old-fashioned or literary flavour. The metaphorical use often implies criticism.
Frequency
Very low frequency in general usage in both regions; primarily found in medical, optical, and literary texts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
a/the/my/myopic myopeVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The myope sees only the tree, not the forest.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly used metaphorically to criticise a strategy lacking long-term vision: 'The board dismissed him as a financial myope.'
Academic
Found in literary criticism, history, and philosophy to describe a narrow perspective. Also standard in medical/optometry papers.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Most would say 'nearsighted' or 'short-sighted'.
Technical
Standard term in ophthalmology and optometry to classify a type of refractive error.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- His myope condition was diagnosed early. (archaic)
American English
- The myope patient needed strong lenses. (archaic/rare)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- As a myope, she always carries her glasses.
- The historian was criticised for being a myope, focusing only on dates and ignoring social trends.
- His myopic, or rather his myope, view of the company's future led to a series of disastrous short-term investments.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
MYOPE = MY (Own) Eye Problem is Everything-near. Or: 'A myope mopes because they can't see far.'
Conceptual Metaphor
INTELLECTUAL/IMAGINATIVE NARROWNESS IS VISUAL SHORT-SIGHTEDNESS
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation to 'миоп' (highly technical/rare). For the medical sense, use 'близорукий человек'. For the figurative sense, use 'человек с ограниченным кругозором'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'myope' as the standard adjective (use 'myopic').
- Pronouncing it as /maɪˈoʊp/ (stress is on first syllable).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'myope' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Myope' is primarily a noun meaning a person with myopia. 'Myopic' is the adjective describing the condition or, more commonly, the metaphorical short-sightedness.
No, it is a low-frequency word. In everyday language, 'nearsighted' or 'short-sighted' are far more common for the literal meaning, and 'short-sighted', 'narrow-minded', or 'myopic' for the figurative meaning.
Almost never. Both the literal and figurative senses describe a limitation—a lack of ability to see clearly at a distance or to consider the long-term/broader picture.
The optical opposite is a 'hyperope' (farsighted person). The figurative opposite could be a 'visionary', 'prophet', or 'far-sighted thinker'.