myopic

The literal sense of myopic means the same thing as nearsighted or shortsighted—meaning a person can’t see distant things clearly. The medical term for this condition is myopia, and mypoic is its adjective form.

Myopic is commonly used in a metaphorical way. It can describe a person who doesn’t thoroughly think things through, or it can describe things, such as decisions or plans, that lack foresight. A decision or plan considered myopic could be described as ill-advised or ill-considered. Nearsighted and shortsighted can also be used in this metaphorical way.

Myopic can also be used to describe someone considered narrow-minded or closed-minded—intolerant or lacking understanding.

In terms of literal eyesight, myopia (nearsightedness) could be considered the “opposite” of farsightedness, technically known as hyperopia, whose adjective form is hyperopic (hypermetropic and hypermetropical are also used).

The word farsighted can be considered an antonym of both the literal and figurative senses of myopic. It suggests foresight or prudent planning.

The opposite of the sense of myopic meaning narrow-minded or closed-minded is open-minded or tolerant.

The word myopic comes from a Greek word meaning “nearsighted,” or, more literally, “blinking.” It’s a combination of roots meaning “shut” and “eye.” The first records of the word myopic in English come from the late 1700s.

Myopic is commonly used in a metaphorical sense. It’s often applied to poorly thought-out plans or decisions, or to the people who make them.

Here are some examples of myopic in a sentence:

• My optometrist says I’m myopic.
• Their plan seems particularly myopic—there are several potential consequences they clearly haven’t considered at all.
• He has been criticized for being myopic about social issues.