blankly
Americanadverb
-
without expression or understanding.
She stared blankly at her inquisitors.
-
in every respect; totally; fully.
He blankly denied ever saying such a thing.
Etymology
Origin of blankly
Explanation
To do something in a plain, expressionless, or empty way is to do it blankly. If you gaze blankly into the distance, you have no expression on your face at all. If you've ever made an announcement or given a speech only to have everyone stare blankly at you, you know exactly what this adverb means. People who look blankly at the TV set don't seem to be having much fun, and kids who gaze blankly at their math teacher don't appear to understand the equations she's writing on the board. Blankly comes from blank, which means both "bare or empty" and "void of expression."
Vocabulary lists containing blankly
The Lions of Little Rock
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"Morning Song" by Sylvia Plath
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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
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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.
For the first time, Heuermann, who had been staring straight ahead blankly, turned towards the podium, then immediately back.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
So sometimes Harry Potter fans will come up to me and say something, and I will look at them blankly.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026
We have in our notes for the week here “something re: SOTU,” and have been staring at it blankly for a while.
From Slate • Feb. 28, 2026
The entire time the Lakers’ star guard just stared blankly ahead.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2025
During that initial interview, the farmer had seemed to be suffering from dementia: he had stared at the agent blankly.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
