blush

American  

[bluhsh] / blʌʃ /

verb (used without object)

1. to redden, as from self-consciousness, embarrassment, or shame.

   He blushed when they called him a conquering hero.

   Synonyms:

   color, flush

   Antonyms:

   blanch, pale

2. to feel shame or embarrassment (often followed by at orfor ).

   Your behavior makes me blush for your poor mother.

3. (of the sky, flowers, etc.) to become rosy.

4. (of house paint or lacquer) to become cloudy or dull through moisture or excessive evaporation of solvents.

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verb (used with object)

1. to make red; flush.

2. to make known by a blush.

   She could not help blushing the truth.

noun

1. a reddening, as of the face.

2. rosy or pinkish tinge.

3. Also called blush-on.  Also called blusher,.  a cosmetic used to add a pink or reddish color to the cheeks.

4. Also called blush wine.  rosé.

idioms

1. at first blush, without previous knowledge or adequate consideration; at first glance.

   At first blush, the solution to the problem seemed simple enough.

blush British  

/ blʌʃ /

verb

1. (intr) to become suddenly red in the face from embarrassment, shame, modesty, or guilt; redden

2. to make or become reddish or rosy

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noun

1. a sudden reddening of the face from embarrassment, shame, modesty, or guilt

2. a rosy glow

   the blush of a peach

3. a reddish or pinkish tinge

4. a cloudy area on the surface of freshly applied gloss paint

5. when first seen; as a first impression

blush More Idioms  

1. see at first blush.

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Other Word Forms

• blushful
  adjective
• blushfully
  adverb
• blushfulness
  noun
• blushing
  noun
• blushingly
  adverb
• blushless
  adjective
• outblush
  verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of blush

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English verb blushen, blyshen “to glow,” probably from Old English blyscan “to glow brightly, glow red”; akin to Old English blysa, blisa, Old Norse blys, Middle Low German blus “torch,” bloschen “to blaze”; noun derived from the verb

Explanation

When you blush, you turn red because you are embarrassed. And, oddly enough, women wear the make-up variety of blush to add color to their cheeks — not to appear embarrassed but to appear attractive. Women use a type of makeup called blush to add redness to their cheeks. That can help you remember the other meanings of this word, which all relate to redness or rosiness. When you have a blush — or are blushing — your face gets red. People blush when they’re embarrassed. Having a crush can cause blushing; so can getting caught stealing something. Blushing is caused by blood rushing to the head: thus, the color red.

Example Sentences

That might seem like a bold claim at first blush.

From Salon • May 25, 2026

"At first blush, this case may not seem momentous," said Koh from the trade union confederation.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

Some hedge funds are shorting shares that at first blush don’t seem very related to the fighting, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

At first blush, there doesn’t appear to be a whole lot happening with the S&P 500 in 2026.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

I blush again, and there’s more laughter from her.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone