blind

American  

[blahynd] / blaɪnd /

adjective

blinder, comparative blindest superlative

1. unable to see; having severely impaired or absolutely no sense of sight; sightless.

   a blind man.

   Antonyms:

   seeing

2. unwilling or unable to perceive or understand: He was blind to all arguments.

   They were blind to their children's faults.

   He was blind to all arguments.

   Antonyms:

   receptive

3. not characterized or determined by reason or control: blind chance.

   blind tenacity;

   blind chance.

4. not having or based on reason or intelligence; absolute and unquestioning.

   She had blind faith in his fidelity.

   Synonyms:

   unreasoning, thoughtless, rash, uncritical, irrational

   Antonyms:

   rational

5. lacking all consciousness or awareness.

   a blind stupor.

6. drunk.

7. hard to see or understand.

   blind reasoning.

8. hidden from immediate view, especially from oncoming motorists.

   a blind corner.

9. of concealed or undisclosed identity; sponsored anonymously.

   a blind ad signed only with a box number.

10. having no outlets; closed at one end: a blind mountain pass.

    a blind passage;

    a blind mountain pass.

11. Architecture. (of an archway, arcade, etc.) having no windows, passageways, or the like.

12. dense enough to form a screen.

    a blind hedge of privet.

13. done without seeing; by instruments alone.

    blind flying.

14. made without some prior knowledge: a blind lead in a card game.

    a blind purchase;

    a blind lead in a card game.

15. of or relating to an experimental design that prevents investigators or subjects from knowing the hypotheses or conditions being tested.

16. of, relating to, or for blind persons.

17. Bookbinding. (of a design, title, or the like) impressed into the cover or spine of a book by a die without ink or foil.

18. Cooking. (of pastry shells) baked or fried without the filling.

19. (of a rivet or other fastener) made so that the end inserted, though inaccessible, can be headed or spread.

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verb (used with object)

blinds, present (3rd person singular) blinded, past participle, past blinding present participle

1. to make sightless permanently, temporarily, or momentarily, as by injuring, dazzling, bandaging the eyes, etc..

   The explosion blinded him.

   We were blinded by the bright lights.

2. to make obscure or dark.

   The room was blinded by heavy curtains.

3. to deprive of discernment, reason, or judgment.

   a resentment that blinds his good sense.

4. to outshine; eclipse.

   a radiance that doth blind the sun.

noun

blinds plural

1. something that obstructs vision, as a blinker for a horse.

2. a window covering having horizontal or vertical slats that can be drawn out of the way, often with the angle of the slats adjustable to admit varying amounts of light.

3. venetian blind.

4. Chiefly Midland U.S. and British. window shade.

5. a lightly built structure of brush or other growths, especially one in which hunters conceal themselves.

   a duck blind.

   Synonyms:

   ambush

6. an activity, organization, or the like for concealing or masking action or purpose; subterfuge.

   The store was just a blind for their gambling operation.

7. a decoy.

8. Slang. a bout of excessive drinking; drunken spree.

9. Poker. a compulsory bet made without prior knowledge of one's hand.

10. (used with a plural verb) Usually the blind persons who lack the sense of sight.

    The blind are said to have an acute sense of hearing.

adverb

1. into a stupor; to the degree at which consciousness is lost.

   He drank himself blind.

2. without the ability to see clearly; lacking visibility; blindly.

   They were driving blind through the snowstorm.

3. without guidance or forethought.

   They were working blind and couldn't anticipate the effects of their actions.

4. to an extreme or absolute degree; completely.

   The confidence men cheated her blind.

idioms

1. fly blind. fly.

blind British  

/ blaɪnd /

adjective

1. 1. unable to see; sightless

   2. ( as collective noun ; preceded by the )

      the blind

2. (usually foll by to) unable or unwilling to understand or discern

3. not based on evidence or determined by reason

   blind hatred

4. acting or performed without control or preparation

5. done without being able to see, relying on instruments for information

6. hidden from sight

   a blind corner

   a blind stitch

7. closed at one end

   a blind alley

8. completely lacking awareness or consciousness

   a blind stupor

9. informal very drunk

10. having no openings or outlets

    a blind wall

11. without having been seen beforehand

    a blind purchase

12. (of cultivated plants) having failed to produce flowers or fruits

13. (intensifier)

    not a blind bit of notice

14. to disregard deliberately or pretend not to notice (something, esp an action of which one disapproves)

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adverb

1. without being able to see ahead or using only instruments

   to drive blind

   flying blind

2. without adequate knowledge or information; carelessly

   to buy a house blind

3. (intensifier) (in the phrase blind drunk )

4. to bake (the empty crust of a pie, pastry, etc) by half filling with dried peas, crusts of bread, etc, to keep it in shape

verb

1. to deprive of sight permanently or temporarily

2. to deprive of good sense, reason, or judgment

3. to darken; conceal

4. (foll by with) to overwhelm by showing detailed knowledge

   to blind somebody with science

5. slang (intr) to drive very fast

6. slang (intr) to curse (esp in the phrase effing and blinding )

noun

1. (modifier) for or intended to help blind and partially sighted people

   a blind school

2. a shade for a window, usually on a roller

3. any obstruction or hindrance to sight, light, or air

4. a person, action, or thing that serves to deceive or conceal the truth

5. a person who acts on behalf of someone who does not wish his identity or actions to be known

6. Also called: blinder.  old-fashioned a drunken orgy; binge

7. poker a stake put up by a player before he examines his cards

8. Brit name: hide.  hunting a screen of brush or undergrowth, in which hunters hide to shoot their quarry

9. military a round or demolition charge that fails to explode

blind More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing blind

• fly blind
• rob someone blind
• turn a blind eye

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Usage

What does blind mean? Blind is most commonly used to describe a person who is unable to see. It can describe someone who has severe vision impairment or no vision at all. Some people who cannot see may prefer to be described or referred to with terms other than blind. As with all forms of disabilities, it is always best to use the language that the person prefers. The term the blind is sometimes used to collectively refer to people who are blind, such as in the names of organizations like the National Federation of the Blind. However, some people object to such collective uses, which are sometimes thought to prevent people from being viewed as individuals (in contrast with person-first language, such as people who are blind). Blind is sometimes used in figurative ways, especially as an adjective meaning unable or unwilling to accept or perceive something, as in Don’t be blind to the risks. It is also sometimes used to describe something that is not based on logic, as in blind faith. Such figurative uses can be considered a form of ableism due to likening negative characteristics to a physical disability. As a verb, blind can be used in a literal way meaning to temporarily or permanently take away someone’s ability to see, as in I was blinded by the sun or The accident blinded him. As a noun, blind can refer to a number of objects that obstruct vision or light in some way, most commonly window coverings that can be closed to darken a room (typically referred to with the plural form blinds). Example: As a blind person, I want people to remember that just because I can’t see doesn’t mean I’m incapable of living a full life.

Synonym Usage

Blind, stone-blind, purblind mean unable to see. Blind means unable to see with the physical eyes. Stone-blind emphasizes complete blindness. Purblind refers to weakened vision, literally or figuratively. See curtain.

Regionalisms

See window shade.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• blindness
  noun
• half-blind
  adjective
• self-blinded
  adjective
• blindingly
  adverb
• blindly
  adverb
• half-blindly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• blinds
  plural

Adjectives

• blinder
  comparative
• blindest
  superlative

Participles

• blinding
  present
• blinded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• blind
  simple
• blinds
  simple
• have blinded
  perfect
• has blinded
  perfect
• am blinding
  progressive
• are blinding
  progressive
• is blinding
  progressive
• have been blinding
  perfect progressive
• has been blinding
  perfect progressive

Past

• blinded
  simple
• had blinded
  perfect
• was blinding
  progressive
• were blinding
  progressive
• had been blinding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will blind
  simple
• will have blinded
  perfect
• will be blinding
  progressive
• will have been blinding
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of blind

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English adjective cognate with Gothic blinds, Old Norse blindr, German, Dutch blind (from Germanic blindaz, perhaps akin to blend; original sense uncertain, perhaps “to make cloudy”); verb derivative of the adjective

Explanation

Someone who's blind can't see. People who are blind can often get around easily with the aid of a cane and sometimes a service dog. You might get hit by a baseball and end up blind in one eye, or be temporarily blind after a trip to the eye doctor. The word also means "without looking," as in a blind taste test of three different brands of chocolate milk. A figurative way to be blind is to refuse or be unable to see the truth: "He was blind to the reality of the situation." This tendency can be called a person's "blind side."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

blind blinds blinder blindest blinded blinding

The optic nerve then exits through the back of the retina, creating a blind spot just below the horizontal level of the eye where no vision is possible.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

They also reportedly have dispensers for chaff -- metal shavings that distract radar-guided missiles -- and flares that blind heat-seeking missiles.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

“Far too many low income people who are not on Medicare Advantage plans go blind and then they stay blind for life,” he added.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

He explains what extreme heat does to your body, why some people struggle to keep time, and the exciting new trial that could offer hope for people who are blind.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

The room was growing lighter; without taking his eyes from Mina’s face, Dr. Van Helsing motioned me to pull up the blind.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

Heavy draperies hang at the windows instead of venetian blinds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

Put your windows on lockdown: Close blinds, shades or curtains during peak daylight hours — especially on south- and west-facing walls — to block radiant heat from entering.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

Experts have suggested using low-tech solutions such as blinds or ceiling fans not to avoid using air conditioning, but use it less.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

Avoid that by keeping bedrooms cool during the day - closing blinds or curtains and using an electric fan to move the air around.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

Luckily the blinds are drawn so no one can see in here; if they did they’d probably have me sedated.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

So far, so successful, with senior figures in government believing their foreign policy guru, Blair-era adviser Jonathan Powell, is "playing a blinder".

From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026

Most shooters compete with a blinder on one eye to keep the muscles relaxed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2024

He now values blind loyalty and even blinder sycophancy more than electoral appeal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2024

Everton boss Sean Dyche played a tactical blinder in his side's big win at Brighton in the way they sat in, playing very narrow, and then hit them with quick counter-attacks.

From BBC ● May 11, 2023

“I may be blinder than any bat, but I got me a government-issue rifle. It was the one my husband, Mr. Hamline, carried when he fought with Captain Lilly’s Eighteenth Indiana Light Artillery at Chicamauga.”

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Of course he is Ghanaian and the fact that his younger brother Nico is playing for Spain does not make the blindest bit of difference.

From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2022

“My presence in Washington wouldn’t have made the blindest bit of difference,” he said.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 29, 2022

But there is a saying that Carlos, a man of many sayings, sometimes applied to Jorge: ‘‘The blindest man is the one who does not want to see.’’

From New York Times ● Jul. 9, 2015

But unless you're going to require journalists and bloggers to embrace such a pettifogging regime too, you're pottering down the blindest of alleys, regulating human nature until your wig falls off.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 16, 2012

It took a long time for me to disengage myself from this excitement, and on the blindest, most visceral level, I never really have, and never will.

From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin

Are investors too blinded by AI that they’re ignoring opportunity elsewhere?

From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026

Researchers report the first blinded, randomized, sham-controlled evidence that a procedure called duodenal mucosal resurfacing may offer a safe and lasting way to maintain weight loss without ongoing medication.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 23, 2026

Born to Jamaican parents in Mitcham, south London, in 1965, Ricky Walters was blinded in one eye by broken glass as an infant and took to wearing an eye patch.

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026

“Venezuela was a black box. It is a territory in which we have blinded ourselves,” says Fulton Armstrong, a former CIA analyst.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026

Rain, driven horizontal by the winds, blinded me, and I was drenched and bruised.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

He flicked on his high beams only to watch them bounce back as a blinding wall of light.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026

For now, Microsoft and its software peers aren’t companies; they’re narratives of tech’s next generational disruption, all happening at blinding speed.

From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026

In nutrition studies, full blinding is often difficult because people usually know what they are eating.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 25, 2026

The painstaking pop production that earned the song a record of the year nomination was jettisoned, with Gaga screaming the hook against a blinding array of floodlights.

From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026

A blinding light atop the camera flashed on.

From "Lawn Boy Returns" by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

• ignorant
• insensitive
• nearsighted
• oblivious
• unconscious