blink

[ blingk ]
See synonyms for: blinkblinking on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)
  1. to close and reopen the eyes, especially involuntarily: Every time I blink, it makes the cut on my eyelid hurt.

  2. to look with half-shut eyes or rapidly closing and opening eyes: I blinked at the harsh morning light.

  1. to be startled, surprised, or dismayed (usually followed by at): She blinked at his sudden fury.

  2. to look evasively or with indifference; ignore (often followed by at): to blink at another's eccentricities.

  3. to shine unsteadily, dimly, or intermittently; twinkle; flicker: The light on the buoy blinked in the distance.

  4. to yield or back down from a confrontation: All eyes are on the two nations' standoff, waiting to see who blinks.

verb (used with object)
  1. to close and reopen (the eye or eyes), usually rapidly, repeatedly, or involuntarily; She blinked her eyes in an effort to wake up.

  2. to cause (something) to twinkle or shine intermittently: We blinked the flashlight frantically, but there was no response.

  1. Rare. to ignore deliberately; evade; shirk: Although deaths continue to rise, the authorities have blinked the problem.

noun
  1. an act or instance of closing and reopening the eyes, especially repeatedly or involuntarily: She claimed not to be startled, but her blink betrayed her.

  2. the act or condition of flickering, twinkling, or shining intermittently: The faithful blink of the lighthouse comforted the crew.

  1. a gleam; glimmer: There was not a blink of light anywhere.

  2. Chiefly Scot. a glance or glimpse.

  3. Meteorology.

Idioms about blink

  1. on the blink, not in proper working order; in need of repair: The washing machine is on the blink again.

Origin of blink

1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English verb blincken, variant of blenchen, blenken “to quail, shrink back, blench” (see blench1); cognate with Dutch, German blinken

synonym study For blink

1. See wink1.

Other words for blink

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use blink in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for blink

blink

/ (blɪŋk) /


verb
  1. to close and immediately reopen (the eyes or an eye), usually involuntarily

  2. (intr) to look with the eyes partially closed, as in strong sunlight

  1. to shine intermittently, as in signalling, or unsteadily

  2. (tr ; foll by away, from , etc) to clear the eyes of (dust, tears, etc)

  3. (when tr , usually foll by at) to be surprised or amazed: he blinked at the splendour of the ceremony

  4. (when intr , foll by at) to pretend not to know or see (a fault, injustice, etc)

noun
  1. the act or an instance of blinking

  2. a glance; glimpse

  1. on the blink slang not working properly

Origin of blink

1
C14: variant of blench 1; related to Middle Dutch blinken to glitter, Danish blinke to wink, Swedish blinka

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with blink

blink

see on the blink.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.