blinkered
Americanadjective
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narrow-minded and subjective; unwilling to understand another viewpoint.
When in the Oval Office, Hoover was blinkered by his distrust of government.
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having blinkers on; fitted with blinkers.
a blinkered racehorse.
adjective
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considering only a narrow point of view
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(of a horse) wearing blinkers
Other Word Forms
- unblinkered adjective
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.
Mr. Broderick, himself a sometime movie star, brings a slyly funny air of noblesse oblige that dovetails amusingly with Jay’s pompous, blinkered dimness.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
He said investigators must not be "blinkered" or put crimes into boxes while ignoring the overlap between some offences.
From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025
In many other cases, this view is blinkered, if not entirely false.
From Slate • Nov. 20, 2025
If only the whole story had been told from Låke’s curious and blinkered perspective, “The Colony” might have ended up more show than tell, and the more eloquent for it.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2025
Because he blinkered out what he could not immediately comprehend, his travels to Tokyo, New York, and California did little to awaken a sense of wonder and excitement.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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.
