blush

American  

[bluhsh] / blʌʃ /

verb (used without object)

blushes, present (3rd person singular) blushed, past participle, past blushing present participle

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)

blushes, present (3rd person singular) blushed, past participle, past blushing present participle

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

• blushing
  present
• blushed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• blush
  simple
• blushes
  simple
• have blushed
  perfect
• has blushed
  perfect
• am blushing
  progressive
• are blushing
  progressive
• is blushing
  progressive
• have been blushing
  perfect progressive
• has been blushing
  perfect progressive

Past

• blushed
  simple
• had blushed
  perfect
• was blushing
  progressive
• were blushing
  progressive
• had been blushing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will blush
  simple
• will have blushed
  perfect
• will be blushing
  progressive
• will have been blushing
  perfect progressive

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

Thomas’ dissent is, in many respects, more emotionally complex than either his admirers or his critics, like me, were at first blush ready to admit.

From Slate • Jul. 2, 2026

The auction also features several of Monroe's personal make-up products, including lipsticks, blush and eyeliner pencil, which the auction company noted has continued to captivate people on TikTok hoping to recreate Monroe's look.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

At first blush, that might sound like a win for investors, since higher yields tend to mean better returns.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

At first blush, his lifetime Wins Above Replacement of 0.3 would indicate that he’s little better than the fictional minor league “replacement player” to which MLB players are compared in calculating the statistic.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

A pleasant “thank you” seemed meant to laugh it off, but a blush, a quivering lip, a tear in the eye, shewed that it was felt beyond a laugh.

From "Emma" by Jane Austen