blush

[bluhsh]

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.

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.

blush

/ 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

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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of blush¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of blush¹

Old English blӯscan ; related to blӯsian to burn, Middle Low German blüsen to light a fire

Idioms and Phrases

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.

see at first blush.

Example Sentences

Rain saved their blushes against Pakistan, the worst team in the tournament, before they impressively edged a closely-fought tie against hosts India.

Read more on BBC

He was 53 — in the blush of youth, compared to some of today’s Democratic elders — when he lost his reelection bid after a single term as San Francisco mayor.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Memories get classified in ways that seem at first blush straightforward.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It was a rate of attrition that would make even the Conservative Party of recent years blush.

Read more on BBC

He blushed and actually agreed before letting me go home.

Read more on Salon