- present participle of blind.
blinding
Americannoun
noun
-
sand or grit spread over a road surface to fill up cracks
-
the process of laying blinding
-
Also called: mattress. a layer of concrete made with little cement spread over soft ground to seal it so that reinforcement can be laid on it
adjective
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making one blind or as if blind
blinding snow
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most noticeable; brilliant or dazzling
a blinding display of skill
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of blinding
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at blind, -ing 1
Explanation
If something is blinding, it's so bright that it makes you lose your vision temporarily. The blinding light of a camera flash can be very annoying. The bright or dazzling light of fireworks, a flashlight, or even light glinting off of a mirror or a diamond necklace can all be blinding, rendering you briefly unable to see. Anything you can't see through can be described this way, like blinding rain or the blinding white of a blizzard, and even pain is sometimes blinding. The word shares an Old English root with blind, blendan, "to deprive of sight."
Vocabulary lists containing blinding
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"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
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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.
Had I accidentally discovered a supernatural portal where time and space didn’t exist, one where random phenomena of blinding beauty could materialize on this plane without any logical explanation?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Did the fun of the film festival circuit eventually become a blinding limelight, through which Adrian couldn’t see past as he got older?
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
When Calum MacDonald visited a bar in Laos he experienced "a blinding kaleidoscopic light" permanently impairing his vision, less than two days after having a drink.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
But for the fashionistas, the Met Gala -- traditionally held on the first Monday in May -- is simply one of the world's top red carpets with blinding star power.
From Barron's ● May 4, 2026
Parts of it are painted a blinding turquoise color, and there’s a plaque on the brick part, but he can’t see from this distance.
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
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.
