bling
Americannoun
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blings
plural
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expensive and flashy jewelry, clothing, or other possessions.
-
the flaunting of such possessions or the flashy lifestyle associated with it.
adjective
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bling
1995-2000; perhaps imitative of the imaginary sound that light makes when reflecting off a diamond
Explanation
Bling is a slang term for fancy, expensive jewelry and accessories. You might aim to impress on the first day of school by wearing a lot of bling. There's an implication in the very term bling that not only do you have flashy chains and watches, but you want to show them off. The word itself comes from the idea that light glinting off gold or diamonds would make a bling-like sound if you could hear it. Both bling and bling-bling are US rap slang which gained mainstream popularity around the mid-1990s.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“I am an ordinary guy, not at all one of the bling generation,” he explained.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Big is also bling, and today upmarket models such as the Lamborghini Urus, the Mercedes-Benz G Wagon or the Bentley Bentayga are widely favoured by today's reality TV stars, footballers and music artists.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
I’ve been to many shows, operas, big parties and fundraisers, and no one seems to wear their bling.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
Vance getups or Marco Rubio costumes, let alone decked out in Ted Cruz–themed bling or Rand Paul merch.
From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2026
This house, a large, ram bling gray stucco with a picket fence surrounding the weedy grounds, stood away from the street, perched on a ledge that dropped fifty feet down into the river below.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
The collaboration will see Bungie and Epic Games create skins for Destiny 2 and Fortnite, along with gliders, pickaxes, back blings, and even a Destiny-inspired creative map for Fortnite.
From The Verge ● Aug. 23, 2022
There will be glider designs based on Destiny sparrow designs, alongside Destiny-inspired pickaxes and back blings.
From The Verge ● Aug. 23, 2022
Epic is also planning to sell other Balenciaga-themed accessories, including a pickaxe based on the Speed Sneaker and Balenciaga backpack back blings.
From The Verge ● Sep. 20, 2021
After Ike's intestinal operation, Harold Stassen had some second mental rum blings, ordered his private popularity poll of vice-presidential candidates.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
