blinkered
Americanadjective
-
narrow-minded and subjective; unwilling to understand another viewpoint.
When in the Oval Office, Hoover was blinkered by his distrust of government.
-
having blinkers on; fitted with blinkers.
a blinkered racehorse.
adjective
-
considering only a narrow point of view
-
(of a horse) wearing blinkers
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of blinkered
First recorded in 1895–1900; blinker ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
Explanation
When someone is blinkered, they're narrow-minded, or have a limited understanding. Your brother is blinkered by his belief that only boys should belong to his secret club. The adjective blinkered describes anyone who lacks the ability to include different viewpoints and experiences in their own understanding of the world. Your might think your grandfather wouldn't make a good president because, despite being a nice guy, he's blinkered by his old-fashioned opinions. This figurative meaning comes from the blinkers or "blinders" worn by horses that force them to focus only on the path in front of them.
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.
But here, even as he makes sport of his characters’ foibles and blinkered worldviews, he views them with a compassion that feels free of judgment, and touched with grace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
"I feel these inconsistencies do not make a difference to education and are really blinkered."
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Marcin, initially as malignant as Hook and as blinkered as Torvald, eventually grows as repentant and noble as Oberon in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which will co-star a certain native of Toruń as Titania.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026
To be sure, there are aspects of Iredell’s conception of religious freedom that today we find blinkered.
From Slate ● May 9, 2025
Wordless, blinkered, a nighttime thing, a dream thing.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
