blessing

[bles-ing]

noun

1. the act or words of a person who blesses.

2. a special favor, mercy, or benefit.

   the blessings of liberty.

   Synonyms: bounty, profit, gain, boon, advantage

3. a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness.

4. the invoking of God's favor upon a person.

   The son was denied his father's blessing.

5. praise; devotion; worship, especially grace said before a meal.

   The children took turns reciting the blessing.

6. approval or good wishes.

   The proposed law had the blessing of the governor.

blessing

/ ˈblɛsɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of invoking divine protection or aid

2. the words or ceremony used for this

3. a short prayer of thanksgiving before or after a meal; grace

4. Also called: brachah.  brocho. Judaism

   1. a short prayer prescribed for a specific occasion and beginning "Blessed art thou, O Lord…"

   2. a section of the liturgy including a similar formula

5. approval; good wishes

   her father gave his blessing to the marriage

6. the bestowal of a divine gift or favour

7. a happy event or state of affairs

   a blessing in disguise

Word History and Origins

Origin of blessing¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English blessinge, blessunge, Old English bletsung, bledsung; equivalent to bless + -ing ¹

Idioms and Phrases

• give thanks for small blessings
• mixed blessing

Example Sentences

He posed for photographs with fans and broadcast the candle-lighting event live on social media, sending “blessings to all.”

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For a medieval economy that had scarcely grown in 1,500 years, the Industrial Revolution in the U.K. unleashed a greater concentration of material blessings than ordinary people had ever experienced.

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“You see, I witnessed some terrible things on those farms. It was a blessing when I was moved here, but I often think about the animals I left behind. I hope they’re okay.”

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Investors gave their blessing to plans laid out by Google and Amazon, with some worrying about those set forth by Meta and Microsoft.

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But that dream was so strong, and I had the blessing and encouragement from them.

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Related Words

• asset 
• boon 
• gift 
• good fortune www.thesaurus.com
• good luck 
• kindness 
• miracle