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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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
The book jacket features a prominent blurb from Johnson calling the doctor’s treatise: “A gripping tale of corruption and courage that will open eyes and prompt serious questions.”
From Salon ● Dec. 15, 2025
Patchett provided a cover blurb for “The Correspondent,” a dusting of star power that helps attract bookstore browsers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2025
In the blurb to the exhibition, Wintour writes that she has “probably spent a year of my life waiting for fashion shows, which are famously tardy, to begin”.
From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2024
“Just like being by the sea!” the blurb claimed.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
The show, which is having its world premiere at the Old Globe’s Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage, is just so damn heartwarming that I can’t help but resort to the language of blurbs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
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
After the debate, “Steve’s Vision” was updated with several more short blurbs and some bolded words.
From Slate ● Feb. 5, 2024
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
They'll be quoted, parsed, fact-checked, eviscerated by those who disagree, and then forgotten in the wake of new blurbs that come out tomorrow.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
