blank
Americanadjective
-
(of paper or other writing surface) having no marks; not written or printed on.
a blank sheet of paper.
-
not filled in, as a printed form.
a blank check.
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unrelieved or unbroken by ornament, opening, decoration, etc..
a blank wall.
-
lacking some usual or completing feature.
An image is stamped onto a blank coin by a die.
-
(of a recording medium) containing no previously recorded information.
She transferred all the restored data onto a blank hard drive.
I still have a few blank CD-ROMs.
-
void of interest, variety, results, etc..
She sometimes occupied her blank days reading detective stories.
-
showing no attention, interest, or emotion.
a blank expression on his face.
-
disconcerted; nonplussed; speechless.
He looked blank when I asked him why he applied for the job.
- Synonyms:
- perplexed, dumbstruck
-
blank stupidity.
- Synonyms:
- unqualified, absolute, perfect, unadulterated, thorough, pure, downright
-
Archaic. white; pale; colorless.
noun
-
a place where something is lacking; an empty space.
a blank in one's memory.
-
a space in a printed form, test, etc., to be filled in.
Write your name in the blank.
-
a printed form containing such spaces.
Have you filled out one of these blanks?
-
a dash put in place of an omitted letter, series of letters, etc., especially to avoid writing a word considered profane or obscene.
-
Metalworking. a piece of metal ready to be drawn, pressed, or machined into a finished object.
-
Archery. the bull's-eye.
verb (used with object)
-
to cross out or delete, especially in order to invalidate or void (usually followed byout ).
to blank out an entry.
-
Informal. to keep (an opponent) from scoring in a game.
-
Metalworking. to stamp or punch out of flat stock, as with a die.
idioms
adjective
-
(of a writing surface) bearing no marks; not written on
-
(of a form, etc) with spaces left for details to be filled in
-
without ornament or break; unrelieved
a blank wall
-
not filled in; empty; void
a blank space
-
exhibiting no interest or expression
a blank look
-
lacking understanding; confused
he looked blank even after the explanations
-
absolute; complete
blank rejection
-
devoid of ideas or inspiration
his mind went blank in the exam
-
unproductive; barren
noun
-
an emptiness; void; blank space
-
an empty space for writing in, as on a printed form
-
a printed form containing such empty spaces
-
something characterized by incomprehension or mental confusion
my mind went a complete blank
-
a mark, often a dash, in place of a word, esp a taboo word
-
short for blank cartridge
-
a plate or plug used to seal an aperture
-
a piece of material prepared for stamping, punching, forging, etc
-
archery the white spot in the centre of a target
-
-
to choose a lottery ticket that fails to win
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to get no results from something
-
verb
-
(usually foll by out) to cross out, blot, or obscure
-
slang to ignore or be unresponsive towards (someone)
the crowd blanked her for the first four numbers
-
to forge, stamp, punch, or cut (a piece of material) in preparation for forging, die-stamping, or drawing operations
-
(often foll by off) to seal (an aperture) with a plate or plug
-
informal to prevent (an opponent) from scoring in a game
Synonym Usage
See empty.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have blankedperfect
-
has blankedperfect 3rd person singular
-
is blankingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
are blankingprogressive
-
am blankingprogressive 1st person singular
-
has been blankingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
blankingparticiple
-
have been blankingperfect progressive
-
blankssingular 3rd person
Past
-
had blankedperfect
-
had been blankingperfect progressive
-
was blankingprogressive singular
-
were blankingprogressive plural
-
blankedparticiple
-
blankedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of blank
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (noun and adjective) from Anglo-French, French blanc; adjective from Germanic; compare Old English blanca “white horse,” Old High German blanch “bright, white” ( German blank )
Explanation
Something that's blank is empty or undecorated. A blank canvas hasn't been drawn or painted on yet — it's clean and unmarked. A blank computer screen has no information on it, and a blank look on someone's face is completely free of any expression, revealing nothing. If your mind goes blank during a job interview, you are left without any thoughts for a moment. When blank is a noun, it means "a line to be filled in" or "an empty space." In the 1500s, a blank was the empty, white center of a target, from the French word blanc, or "white."
Vocabulary lists containing blank
Absent
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Empty
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Absent
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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.
Another example is the chain that used to be known as Blank Street Coffee, founded in New York and developed by former venture capitalists.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
That money typically comes from candidates’ campaign coffers, Blank noted.
From Salon • May 23, 2026
Speaking to BBC Sport from the $228 million Arthur M Blank training complex, which opens this week, Batson said "think of it as St George's Park, but slightly bigger and obviously newer".
From BBC • May 6, 2026
Marilyn Chinitz, a New York-based matrimonial attorney at Blank Rome, said one of her clients discovered a secret account kept by her ex-husband.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
It was officially called 1001 Blank White Cards, although they mostly just called it Index Cards.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
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.
