blur

American  

[blur] / blɜr /

verb (used with object)

blurs, present (3rd person singular) blurred, past participle, past blurring present participle

1. to obscure or sully (something) by smearing or with a smeary substance.

   The windows were blurred with soot.

2. to obscure by making confused in form or outline; make indistinct.

   The fog blurred the outline of the car.

   Synonyms:

   mask, veil, darken, dim, cloud

3. to dim the perception or susceptibility of; make dull or insensible.

   The blow on the head blurred his senses.

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verb (used without object)

blurs, present (3rd person singular) blurred, past participle, past blurring present participle

1. to become indistinct.

   Everything blurred as she ran.

2. to make blurs.

noun

blurs plural

1. a smudge or smear that obscures.

   a blur of smoke.

2. a blurred condition; indistinctness.

   They could see nothing in the foggy blur.

3. something seen indistinctly.

   The ship appeared as a blur against the horizon.

blur British  

/ ˈblɜːd-, ˈblɜːrɪdlɪ, blɜː /

verb

1. to make or become vague or less distinct

   heat haze blurs the hills

   education blurs class distinctions

2. to smear or smudge

3. (tr) to make (the judgment, memory, or perception) less clear; dim

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noun

1. something vague, hazy, or indistinct

2. a smear or smudge

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• blurredness
  noun
• blurriness
  noun
• blurred
  adjective
• blurry
  adjective
• unblurred
  adjective
• blurredly
  adverb
• blurringly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• blurs
  plural

Participles

• blurring
  present
• blurred
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• blur
  simple
• blurs
  simple
• have blurred
  perfect
• has blurred
  perfect
• am blurring
  progressive
• are blurring
  progressive
• is blurring
  progressive
• have been blurring
  perfect progressive
• has been blurring
  perfect progressive

Past

• blurred
  simple
• had blurred
  perfect
• was blurring
  progressive
• were blurring
  progressive
• had been blurring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will blur
  simple
• will have blurred
  perfect
• will be blurring
  progressive
• will have been blurring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of blur

First recorded in 1540–50; akin to blear

Explanation

To blur is to make or become unfocused and fuzzy. Crying hard can cause your vision to blur until you wipe your tears away. Heavy smog or early morning fog can blur your view of the city, and two candidates' similar views can blur the differences between their political parties. In both cases, things become indistinct and hazy. You can also call the haze itself a blur: "The whole day was just a blur after the exciting news I got in the morning." In the 16th century, blur meant "smear on the surface of writing."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

blur blurs blurred blurring

Her projects frequently blur the boundaries between artistic practice and civic inquiry.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

The music and cheers blur into a low hum, drowned out by the deafening sound of a ticking clock only Jack can hear.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

The near three-hour drive home that day was "like a blur, very painful".

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

Look: Down in the dumps, she’s a blur, she’s a pain, she’s Supergirl.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

After a few minutes, a chicken-sized blur went in, and I slammed the door shut.

From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones

The video released to the public, however, blurs the officer’s face and identity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

The Polish nobility, for instance, is portrayed as not so noble, which blurs the line between invaders and oppressors; any subtleties to be discerned between the languages spoken were probably swallowed up in the subtitles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

And it blurs our understanding of what is happening.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026

The split reaction reflects a broader debate over how journalists operate in an era when protests are live-streamed, social media blurs professional boundaries, and reporters increasingly find themselves in the middle of political confrontations.

From Salon ● Jan. 31, 2026

This high up, songbirds glide through the breeze in blurs of red; chirping and trilling as they pass.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Some physicians were comfortable participating in GPFR, while others felt it blurred ethical boundaries.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026

On my tour, no performer better represented the blurred line between theater and street life than the Duchess of Argyle, a.k.a. the Mysterious Masked Lady of Hollywoodland, a.k.a.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

His associations often blurred the line between business and social interactions.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

When physicists say that space-time “exists,” they are often working within a framework that has quietly blurred the line between existence and occurrence.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 2026

Indeed, in his own time, Kepler was more famous as an astrologer than as an astronomer, although the distinction between the two was rather blurred.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Atkinson stretched the lead out to 35-3, going in after some blurring footwork from Marcus Smith and a lovely offload off the floor from Van Poortvliet.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

The design software market faces unique risks, Radke conceded, as generative AI reduces the time and skill required for prototyping and ideation, in turn blurring the boundaries “of who a ‘designer’ is.”

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

Maston’s emphasis on blurring the lines between the indoor and out remained, however.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026

Do you ever find the line between your personalities blurring?

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026

Each moment of the night recounted itself in his mind, blurring together like pages in a book; one in particular stayed dog-eared.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Related Words

• darken
• dim
• muddy
• obscure
• soften