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.
Blankly staring at something no one else could see, he flung rice over himself and into the crowd.
From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2023
Blankly, sadly the women went up the gangplank.
From Time Magazine Archive
Blankly Archer looked at them an instant, aghast, appalled, as well he might be, and for the moment unable or unwilling to trust himself to speak.
From Tonio, Son of the Sierras A Story of the Apache War by Post, Charles J.
Blankly the major stared up into Barclay's drawn and almost haggard face.
From A Trooper Galahad by King, Charles
Blankly astonished and dismayed to find that I was not the same.
From A Question of Marriage by Vaizey, George de Horne, Mrs.
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.
