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
Derived Forms
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blurredadjective
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blurrednessnoun
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unblurredadjective
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blurredlyadverb
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blurryadjective
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blurrinessnoun
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blurringlyadverb
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has blurredperfect 3rd person singular
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have blurredperfect
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has been blurringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are blurringprogressive
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am blurringprogressive 1st person singular
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blurssingular 3rd person
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blurringparticiple
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have been blurringperfect progressive
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is blurringprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had blurredperfect
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were blurringprogressive plural
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was blurringprogressive singular
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had been blurringperfect progressive
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blurredsimple
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blurredparticiple
Future
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.
The deeper the team advances, the more the boundaries between sports, politics, entertainment and internet culture begin to blur.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026
England engineered their own downfall in Perth in a blur of rash drives.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
If stylistic boundaries blur here, so do those between commodity and artwork.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Excursions that attract people like those aboard the MV Hondius, however, blur the second line.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
He could see their barest outline, with a slight blur at their edges.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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.
