blur

American  

[blur] / blɜr /

verb (used with object)

• blurs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• blurred,
  past participle,  past
• blurring
  present participle

1. to obscure or sully (something) by smearing or with a smeary substance.

   The windows were blurred with soot.

2. to obscure by making confused in form or outline; make indistinct.

   The fog blurred the outline of the car.

   Synonyms:

   mask, veil, darken, dim, cloud

3. to dim the perception or susceptibility of; make dull or insensible.

   The blow on the head blurred his senses.

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verb (used without object)

• blurs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• blurred,
  past participle,  past
• blurring
  present participle

1. to become indistinct.

   Everything blurred as she ran.

2. to make blurs.

noun

• blurs
  plural

1. a smudge or smear that obscures.

   a blur of smoke.

2. a blurred condition; indistinctness.

   They could see nothing in the foggy blur.

3. something seen indistinctly.

   The ship appeared as a blur against the horizon.

blur British  

/ blɜː /

verb

1. to make or become vague or less distinct

   heat haze blurs the hills

   education blurs class distinctions

2. to smear or smudge

3. (tr) to make (the judgment, memory, or perception) less clear; dim

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noun

1. something vague, hazy, or indistinct

2. a smear or smudge

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• blurredness
  noun
• blurriness
  noun
• blurred
  adjective
• blurry
  adjective
• unblurred
  adjective
• blurredly
  adverb
• blurringly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• blurs
  plural

Participles

• blurring
  present
• blurred
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• blur
  simple
• blurs
  simple
• have blurred
  perfect
• has blurred
  perfect
• am blurring
  progressive
• are blurring
  progressive
• is blurring
  progressive
• have been blurring
  perfect progressive
• has been blurring
  perfect progressive

Past

• blurred
  simple
• had blurred
  perfect
• was blurring
  progressive
• were blurring
  progressive
• had been blurring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will blur
  simple
• will have blurred
  perfect
• will be blurring
  progressive
• will have been blurring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of blur

First recorded in 1540–50; akin to blear

Explanation

To blur is to make or become unfocused and fuzzy. Crying hard can cause your vision to blur until you wipe your tears away. Heavy smog or early morning fog can blur your view of the city, and two candidates' similar views can blur the differences between their political parties. In both cases, things become indistinct and hazy. You can also call the haze itself a blur: "The whole day was just a blur after the exciting news I got in the morning." In the 16th century, blur meant "smear on the surface of writing."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

blur blurs blurred blurring

But innovation will remain a hard sell so long as users remain entranced by the big blur, where art becomes media, media becomes content, and content becomes time tossed into the wind.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026

Many child stars also have professional relationships with their parents, which can blur boundaries and leave them vulnerable, Trautman said.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

She says she may need to blur them for the movie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Those windows also help to blur the lines between the indoors and out—giving the property a natural feel that is further emphasized by the use of wood throughout the design.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

His long black hair swirls around him; his toned but rail-thin arms are a blur as he smacks drumsticks on a box of fish tackle, Dad’s lawn mower, and the snowshoes I never finished making.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

“A carefully curated palette of wood, stone, water, and light blurs the boundaries between indoors and out, creating an atmosphere of serenity and effortless connection to the landscape.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Then there's the added pressure applied by industry and the competing interests of states - whose stake in regulatory controls blurs the lines of accountability and increases bureaucratic hurdles.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

Its asymmetrical, free-form plate-glass top rests on a base made of two identical, U-shaped wooden legs —a configuration that blurs distinctions between primitivism and classicism, the organic and the engineered, furniture and art.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

Martinez is throwing some blurs these days after returning this season following Tommy John surgery in June 2024.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026

As the night moves on and blurs toward Christmas morning, Marv, Ritchie, and I become separated.

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak

The video even featured images of former presidential aide Andriy Yermak and parliamentary faction leader David Arakhamia, alongside blurred photographs of other figures within Zelensky's entourage.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

It has also blurred the line between college and professional sports.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

The BBC has blurred the face of the man wearing the T-shirt.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Behind him, an American flag ripples in the distance outside the window, blurred by the summer heat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

I woke the next morning with a blurred image of my momma left over from some dream I couldn’t remember.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

Managers are adjusting to a world where buying the first round and cracking a joke could be seen as keeping the mood light—or blurring boundaries, writes Callum Borchers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

While effective at drawing attention, they may have the unwanted effect of making viewers uncomfortable by blurring the lines of reality — even if the AI use is disclosed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Across YouTube videos, video games, VR experiences and TikTok edits, audiences are located inside the environment itself blurring the boundaries between storytelling, role-playing, tourism and online participation.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

Vision issues such as blurring, difficulty looking at bright lights or complete blindness in some cases are a "red flag" warning sign.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Another handhold, and then he was up and climbing with the wind tearing at him and the trees of the jungle blurring emerald as he shot past.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Related Words

• darken
• dim
• muddy
• obscure
• soften