blur
Americanverb (used with object)
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to obscure or sully (something) by smearing or with a smeary substance.
The windows were blurred with soot.
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to obscure by making confused in form or outline; make indistinct.
The fog blurred the outline of the car.
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to dim the perception or susceptibility of; make dull or insensible.
The blow on the head blurred his senses.
verb (used without object)
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to become indistinct.
Everything blurred as she ran.
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to make blurs.
noun
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a smudge or smear that obscures.
a blur of smoke.
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a blurred condition; indistinctness.
They could see nothing in the foggy blur.
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something seen indistinctly.
The ship appeared as a blur against the horizon.
verb
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to make or become vague or less distinct
heat haze blurs the hills
education blurs class distinctions
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to smear or smudge
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(tr) to make (the judgment, memory, or perception) less clear; dim
noun
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something vague, hazy, or indistinct
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a smear or smudge
Other Word Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing blur
Kindred
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It's All a Blur: Synonyms for "Unclear"
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Brown Girl Dreaming
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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.
In practice, the sequence highlights a broader shift in late-night television culture: from singular network platforms toward dispersed, hybrid appearances that blur the line between mainstream entertainment, local programming, and internet-native performance.
From Salon • May 23, 2026
Excursions that attract people like those aboard the MV Hondius, however, blur the second line.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
We’re all crowding around to see it: the barely visible blur left by the triplet of eruptions that tipped a civilization into collapse.
From Slate • May 8, 2026
He terms it “lantern-light consciousness,” marked by a blur between seen and unseen, known and unknown, and sparking activity all across the brain.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
She rubbed her fingers together, harder and faster until they were a blur, and flames sprang from them.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
