'sore-eyed' is a compound of English words 'sore' and 'eye'. 'sore' originates from Old English 'sār' meaning 'painful, aching', and 'eye' from Old English 'ēage' meaning 'eye'.

'sore' changed from Old English 'sār' to Middle English 'sore' and retained the meaning 'painful'; 'eye' evolved from Old English 'ēage' to modern English 'eye'. The compound form 'sore-eyed' developed in post-medieval English by combining these elements to describe painful or inflamed eyes.

Initially, the elements meant 'painful' (sore) and 'eye' (eye), and the compound originally meant 'having painful eyes'; over time it has maintained that core meaning while also extending to describe eyes that look tired or bloodshot.