blurb
Americannoun
-
blurbs
plural
verb (used with object)
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of blurb
An Americanism dating back to 1910–15; allegedly coined by F. G. Burgess
Explanation
A blurb is a short piece of writing that describes or summarizes something longer and more complicated. You might browse in the library, reading blurbs on the backs of books to help you choose what to check out. One type of blurb is written to sell or promote something. A movie's official website might include a blurb describing its plot as well as a short trailer and a cast list, and well-known authors often contribute blurbs full of praise to help other writers market their own books. Any brief written summary can also be called a blurb: in fact, right now you're reading a blurb about the word blurb.
Vocabulary lists containing blurb
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"Ad Power," "Without Commercials," and "What's Wrong with Advertising"
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Top 50 Wordle Words of 2023
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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.
See Examples For:
Like in a typical museum, you do have a little blurb.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Before you buy it, you may see a blurb stating that in addition to being a best-selling author and beloved actor, Tucci is a “respected foodie.”
From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2026
The online blurb says the book is a "darkly humorous novel that uses the deftest touch to draw a thread through the lives of Welsh farmers, city accountants, Indian hoteliers and Eisteddfod mums".
From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026
He became so famous that at least one Random House book featured a blurb from Cerf himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
But it sounded like, "Blah, blah, blurb," and darn it all, he lost the whole bite of apricots, right down his bib.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
I didn’t read the glowing blurbs for a first-time author from Gwyneth Paltrow, Gloria Steinem, Chanel Miller and Mariska Hargitay.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
According to Web Archive, the “Steve’s Vision” page of Garvey’s campaign website previously featured short blurbs about how he would address “education,” “quality of life,” “public safety,” “national security,” “homelessness,” and “small business.”
From Slate ● Feb. 5, 2024
In some sections, Fontaine has taped up educational blurbs to explain the origins and cultural significance of certain items, such as antique German beer steins and Staffordshire pottery dogs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 27, 2023
Two other blurbs on the cover read: "paranoid and mercurial" and "understanding how Emperor Chongzhen drove himself to a dead end".
From Reuters ● Oct. 23, 2023
Dresner would read respondents proposed PR blurbs and slogans about the movie to find out which ones worked the best.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
