bling
Americannoun
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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.
Open she adorned her ponytail with red roses and attached a Labubu to her tennis bag that she named Billie Jean Bling.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
Which One is the second collaboration between the Hotline Bling star and Central Cee, who released his first album at the start of this year.
From BBC • Jul. 25, 2025
Lil Nas X spent around $10,000 at Mr. Bling for the custom grill he wore in a Doritos Super Bowl 2020 commercial, according to Choi.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2024
"I need to focus on my health, first and foremost — and I'll talk about that soon enough," said the Hotline Bling rapper.
From BBC • Oct. 6, 2023
The boy pointed, trying to speak, "Bling Mist' Donal back," he gulped.
From The Second Latchkey by Williamson, A. M. (Alice Muriel)
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.
