blight

American  

[blahyt] / blaɪt /

noun

1. Plant Pathology.

   1. the rapid and extensive discoloration, wilting, and death of plant tissues.

   2. a disease so characterized.

2. any cause of impairment, destruction, ruin, or frustration.

   Extravagance was the blight of the family.

   Synonyms:

   bane, scourge, plague, curse

3. the state or result of being blighted or deteriorated; dilapidation; decay.

   urban blight.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cause to wither or decay; blast.

   Frost blighted the crops.

2. to destroy; ruin; frustrate.

   Illness blighted his hopes.

verb (used without object)

1. to suffer blight.

blight British  

/ blaɪt /

noun

1. any plant disease characterized by withering and shrivelling without rotting See also potato blight

2. any factor, such as bacterial attack or air pollution, that causes the symptoms of blight in plants

3. a person or thing that mars or prevents growth, improvement, or prosperity

4. an ugly urban district

5. the state or condition of being blighted or spoilt

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verb

1. to cause or suffer a blight

2. (tr) to frustrate or disappoint

3. (tr) to spoil; destroy

blight Scientific  

/ blīt /

1. Any of numerous plant diseases that cause leaves, stems, fruits, and tissues to wither and die. Rust, mildew, and smut are blights.

2. The bacterium, fungus, or virus that causes such a disease.

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Other Word Forms

• blightingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of blight

First recorded in 1605–15; of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

In Small Heath, an inner-city area blighted by piles of uncollected waste on street corners throughout the strike, residents said sometimes bins could go uncollected for six or seven weeks.

From BBC

Slavery shaped the Americas for four centuries, blighting the entire hemisphere.

From Los Angeles Times

But Nasdaq’s IPO laurels were blighted by a swarm of tiny offerings that left investors with steep losses and prompted investigations by regulators concerned over potential pump-and-dump frauds.

From Barron's

The Home Office says shop theft "is completely unacceptable and is blighting our high streets".

From BBC

In Hamilton's case, the reason for the disqualification was an early indication of a problem that would blight much of Ferrari's season.

From BBC

Related Words

• affliction
• canker
• decay
• eyesore
• fungus
• infestation
• mildew
• pest
• scourge