blithe

[blahyth, blahyth]

See more synonyms for blithe on Thesaurus.com

adjective, blith·er, blith·est.

joyous, merry, or happy in disposition; glad; cheerful: Everyone loved her for her blithe spirit.
without thought or regard; carefree; heedless: a blithe indifference to anyone's feelings.

Origin of blithe

before 1000; Middle English; Old English blīthe; cognate with Old Norse blīthr, Old High German blīdi, Gothic bleiths

Related formsblithe·ful, adjectiveblithe·ful·ly, adverbblithe·ly, adverbblithe·ness, nouno·ver·blithe, adjective

Synonyms for blithe

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1. happy, mirthful, sprightly, light-hearted, buoyant, joyful, blithesome.

Antonyms for blithe

1. joyless.

Blithe

[blahyth, blahyth]

noun

a female given name.

Blythe

or Blithe

[blahyth, blahyth]

noun

a female given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for blithe

sprightly, jaunty, jovial, carefree, lighthearted, animated, buoyant, cheerful, cheery, gay, gleeful, jocund, jolly, joyful, merry, mirthful, sunny, vivacious, chirpy, gladsome

Examples from the Web for blithe

Contemporary Examples of blithe

Sadly, Republicans—who have repeatedly slammed Obama for this kind of blithe incoherence—are not immune to the same disorder.
Lobbyist Derangement Syndrome Sweeps DC
James Poulos
August 8, 2014
I missed Don's chiseled mug and Roger's blithe wisecracks and Peggy's prickly chutzpah.
Mad Men’s Dramatic Déjà Vu: ‘Time Zones’ Feels Redundant
Andrew Romano
April 14, 2014
Flashing a smug grin while throwing up your collective shoulders in blithe befuddlement should convince absolutely no one.
It’s Time to Rip the Money Out of the NCAA
Robert Silverman
April 1, 2014

Historical Examples of blithe

Away to your chamber, sweeting, and keep a blithe face, for she who confesses is shriven.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
But Bismarck, although he carried a blithe front, was far from comfortable.
Camps, Quarters and Casual Places
Archibald Forbes
Songsters, all so blithe and gay, Know ye what your carols say?
What Sami Sings with the Birds
Johanna Spyri
She never remembered to have heard Charlie whistling so blithe an air.
The Law-Breakers
Ridgwell Cullum
"A blithe heart maks a blooming look," says Mattha to the girl.
The Shadow of a Crime
Hall Caine

British Dictionary definitions for blithe

blithe

adjective

very happy or cheerful
heedless; casual and indifferent

Derived Formsblithely, adverbblitheness, noun

Word Origin for blithe

Old English blīthe

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

Word Origin and History for blithe

adj.

Old English bliþe "joyous, kind, cheerful, pleasant," from Proto-Germanic *blithiz "gentle, kind" (cf. Old Saxon bliði "bright, happy," Middle Dutch blide, Dutch blijde, Old Norse bliðr "mild, gentle," Old High German blidi "gay, friendly," Gothic bleiþs "kind, friendly, merciful").

Rare since 16c. No cognates outside Germanic. "The earlier application was to the outward expression of kindly feeling, sympathy, affection to others, as in Gothic and ON.; but in OE. the word had come more usually to be applied to the external manifestation of one's own pleased or happy frame of mind, and hence even to the state itself." [OED]