blink

[ blingk ]

/ blɪŋk /

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See synonyms for: blink / blinking on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

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.

verb (used with object)

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.

noun

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.

a gleam; glimmer: There was not a blink of light anywhere.

Chiefly Scot. a glance or glimpse.

Meteorology.

iceblink.
snowblink.

OTHER WORDS FOR blink

9 overlook, disregard, avoid, condone.

11 wink, flicker, twinkle, flutter.

See synonyms for blink on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English verb blincken, variant of blenchen, blenken “to quail, shrink back, blench” (see blench¹); cognate with Dutch, German blinken

synonym study for blink

1. See wink¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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 Post
She 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|DAILY BEAST
He blinked once when she asked if he was in pain, twice when she asked if he knew who shot him.
Tupac Shakur’s Race-Killer Prison Pal Talks|Michael Daly|July 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No one blinked an eye when John Malkovich stooped to do Transformers 2.
The Myth of the Tortured Artist|Shane McAdams|January 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST

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|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|DAILY BEAST
She blinked some more and then she reached out to the little jade box and took a cigarette.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
She blinked and dragged half-heartedly at the cigarette and then she turned and looked at the marble she was doing.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
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 Davis
After his first howl and rage, he only blinked sharply out of his little black eyes and twisted his lips.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
But 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

blink

/ (blɪŋk) /

verb

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 amazedhe blinked at the splendour of the ceremony

(when intr , foll by at) to pretend not to know or see (a fault, injustice, etc)

noun

the act or an instance of blinking

a glance; glimpse

short for iceblink (def. 1)

on the blink slang not working properly

Word Origin for blink

C14: variant of blench 1; related to Middle Dutch blinken to glitter, Danish blinke to wink, Swedish blinka

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with blink

blink

see on the blink.

blink

OTHER WORDS FOR blink

Idioms about blink

Origin of blink

synonym study for blink

Words related to blink

How to use blink in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for blink

Word Origin for blink

Other Idioms and Phrases with blink