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, 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

See Examples For:

blush blushes blushed blushing

The same go-go era saw a company make even Wall Street blush.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

At first blush, this torrent of spending is a little odd.

From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026

But Eatherly was so extreme, he made even his idols blush.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 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

“Flattered,” I said dryly, as if that would hide my blush.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

“They’ve had a curated set of items that they’ve gone after, so whether that be in blushes or in lips or in highlighter or bronzing categories, they’re seeing strength across the board,” Fields said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

“Will, thank you so much!” shouts a fan, and underneath his thick beard, the pitcher blushes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2026

Instead Atalanta attacker Ademola Lookman, the 2024 African player of the year, hit back to spare Nigeria's blushes as his rising shot from just outside the box made it 2-1.

From Barron's ● Dec. 23, 2025

Autochromes possess the light-dappled depth of Impressionist paintings, the powdery precision of pointillism, the honest blushes of butterfly cheeks, and the palpable textures of gleaming silks and gilded velvets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

Moushumi blushes, glances at the price tag dangling from a thread on one side of her face.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

As I began talking with them about the years of advocacy that followed, Patricia’s modesty blushed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026

He blushed and actually agreed before letting me go home.

From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2025

Instead, they found that when participants blushed watching their own performances, there was activity in regions of the brain involved in emotions.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2024

It’s a small to medium sized, pink blushed apple.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 25, 2023

Her lips were red and perfectly shaped, her cheeks blushed prettily when she spoke.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

In “Ready or Not,” Weaving’s blushing bride-to-be, Grace, discovers that she’s marrying into a family of devil-worshippers who sold their souls for eternal wealth, and they must sacrifice her to keep the money rolling in.

From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2026

Festival co-founder Ben Robinson said his team had been courting Biffy Clyro "like blushing school kids for a decade" and their performance would be a "true highlight".

From BBC ● Dec. 16, 2025

If, however, at lunch in a restaurant near his Beverly Hills boutique during one of his occasional visits, a screen idol stopped by his table, he melted into schoolboy smiles and blushing laughter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2025

Beamer - A term for a flushed or blushing face, especially one resulting from embarrassment.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2025

“Yes, of course,” she said, blushing, “if you really...”

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander