bless

[ bles ]

/ blɛs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bless ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), blessed or blest, bless·ing.

to consecrate or sanctify by a religious rite; make or pronounce holy.

to request of God the bestowal of divine favor on: Bless this house.

to bestow good of any kind upon: a nation blessed with peace.

to extol as holy; glorify: Bless the name of the Lord.

to protect or guard from evil (usually used as an interjection): Bless you! Bless your innocent little heart!

to condemn or curse: I'll be blessed if I can see your reasoning. Bless me if it isn't my old friend!

to make the sign of the cross over or upon: The Pope blessed the multitude.

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Origin of bless

before 950; Middle English blessen, Old English blētsian, blēdsian to consecrate, orig. with blood, earlier *blōdisōian (blōd blood + -isō- derivational suffix + -ian v. suffix)

SYNONYMS FOR bless

1. exalt, hallow, glorify, magnify, beatify.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bless ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsbless·er, nounbless·ing·ly, adverbout·bless, verb (used with object), out·blessed or out·blest, out·bles·sing.pre·bless, verb (used with object)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bless

Beth, bless her, later asks Joan what Gorman has done to her.
The Walking Dead’s ‘Slabtown’: The Real Source of Terror Isn’t Walkers, It’s Rape|Melissa Leon|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the one hand it can bless you with exceptional land for growing grapes.
Napa’s Earthquake Is Not The Only Thing Shaking The Vineyards|Clive Irving|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences.
How to Pray in the Public Square|Gene Robinson|May 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bless us with humility open to understanding that our own needs must always be balanced with those of the world.
How to Pray in the Public Square|Gene Robinson|May 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

So bless HBO for heating things up a bit with the release of an epic 15-minute trailer for the fourth season of Game of Thrones.
Watch HBO's Epic 'Game of Thrones' Season 4 Trailer (VIDEO)|Kevin Fallon|February 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Well, Tom, I can give you some just for form's sake; but bless you, you won't able to eat it.
It Is Never Too Late to Mend|Charles Reade
And your babies are the most irresistible angels that ever came to bless and—enliven—a sordid world.
Eve to the Rescue|Ethel Hueston
For such as bless him shall inherit the land: but such as curse him shall perish.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
We bless God with all our hearts for the constituted authorities of the country.
Notes on the Book of Deuteronomy, Volume II|Charles Henry Mackintosh
Why, bless you, I know it all--even to the provisions of the will.
Jason|Justus Miles Forman

British Dictionary definitions for bless

bless

/ (blɛs) /

verb blesses, blessing, blessed or blest (tr)

to consecrate or render holy, beneficial, or prosperous by means of a religious rite

to give honour or glory to (a person or thing) as divine or holy

to call upon God to protect; give a benediction to

to worship or adore (God); call or hold holy

(often passive) to grant happiness, health, or prosperity tothey were blessed with perfect peace

(usually passive) to endow with a talent, beauty, etcshe was blessed with an even temper

rare to protect against evil or harm

bless! (interjection) an exclamation of well-wishing

bless you! (interjection)

a traditional phrase said to a person who has just sneezed
an exclamation of well-wishing or surprise

bless me!, bless my soul! or God bless my soul! (interjection) an exclamation of surprise

not have a penny to bless oneself with to be desperately poor

Word Origin for bless

Old English blǣdsian to sprinkle with sacrificial blood; related to blōd blood

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bless

bless

Old English bletsian, bledsian, Northumbrian bloedsian "to consecrate, make holy, give thanks," from Proto-Germanic *blodison "hallow with blood, mark with blood," from *blotham "blood" (see blood).

Originally a blood sprinkling on pagan altars. This word was chosen in Old English bibles to translate Latin benedicere and Greek eulogein, both of which have a ground sense of "to speak well of, to praise," but were used in Scripture to translate Hebrew brk "to bend (the knee), worship, praise, invoke blessings." Meaning shifted in late Old English toward "pronounce or make happy," by resemblance to unrelated bliss. No cognates in other languages. Related: Blessed; blessing.

bless

verb (used with object), blessed or blest, bless·ing.

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Origin of bless

Examples from the Web for bless

bless

verb blesses, blessing, blessed or blest (tr)

Word Origin for bless

bless