blink
to close and reopen the eyes, especially involuntarily: Every time I blink, it makes the cut on my eyelid hurt.
to look with half-shut eyes or rapidly closing and opening eyes: I blinked at the harsh morning light.
to be startled, surprised, or dismayed (usually followed by at): She blinked at his sudden fury.
to look evasively or with indifference; ignore (often followed by at): to blink at another's eccentricities.
to shine unsteadily, dimly, or intermittently; twinkle; flicker: The light on the buoy blinked in the distance.
to yield or back down from a confrontation: All eyes are on the two nations' standoff, waiting to see who blinks.
to close and reopen (the eye or eyes), usually rapidly, repeatedly, or involuntarily; She blinked her eyes in an effort to wake up.
to cause (something) to twinkle or shine intermittently: We blinked the flashlight frantically, but there was no response.
Rare. to ignore deliberately; evade; shirk: Although deaths continue to rise, the authorities have blinked the problem.
an act or instance of closing and reopening the eyes, especially repeatedly or involuntarily: She claimed not to be startled, but her blink betrayed her.
the act or condition of flickering, twinkling, or shining intermittently: The faithful blink of the lighthouse comforted the crew.
Idioms about blink
on the blink, not in proper working order; in need of repair: The washing machine is on the blink again.
Origin of blink
1synonym study For blink
Other words for blink
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use blink in a sentence
“They just stripped our whole world in the blink of an eye,” her sister, Shermaine Weems-Reed, told the station.
LeBron James seeking answers in death of sister of Cavaliers executive, a close friend | Des Bieler | November 5, 2020 | Washington PostShe squinted, blinked sporadically, and tilted her head, as if straining to wrestle answers from her brain.
Jeopardy! Champion Julia Collins’s Brain Feels Like Mush | Sujay Kumar | November 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe blinked once when she asked if he was in pain, twice when she asked if he knew who shot him.
No one blinked an eye when John Malkovich stooped to do Transformers 2.
He's blinked before after all—notably when he agreed to sequestration in 2011—and who knows?
Here Comes the Shutdown: Three Reasons It Will Hurt the GOP | David Frum | September 28, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Nobody at MTV blinked an eye when they saw a child dressed as Ku Klux Klan member, jumping up to grab a fetus hanging from a tree.
How Nirvana Shot the ‘Heart-Shaped Box’ Video | Andrew Romano | September 13, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTShe blinked some more and then she reached out to the little jade box and took a cigarette.
She blinked and dragged half-heartedly at the cigarette and then she turned and looked at the marble she was doing.
Then while men blinked, the dust was settled, and Louis de Valmont was rising from the sand, smitten clean from his horse.
God Wills It! | William Stearns DavisAfter his first howl and rage, he only blinked sharply out of his little black eyes and twisted his lips.
God Wills It! | William Stearns DavisBut the wretches only blinked out of their little eyes, and never moved a muscle nor gave a sign on their stolid faces.
God Wills It! | William Stearns Davis
British Dictionary definitions for blink
/ (blɪŋk) /
to close and immediately reopen (the eyes or an eye), usually involuntarily
(intr) to look with the eyes partially closed, as in strong sunlight
to shine intermittently, as in signalling, or unsteadily
(tr ; foll by away, from , etc) to clear the eyes of (dust, tears, etc)
(when tr , usually foll by at) to be surprised or amazed: he blinked at the splendour of the ceremony
(when intr , foll by at) to pretend not to know or see (a fault, injustice, etc)
the act or an instance of blinking
a glance; glimpse
short for iceblink (def. 1)
on the blink slang not working properly
Origin of blink
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with blink
see on the blink.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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