baby blue
noun
1
: a pale blue
2
baby blues plural
: blue eyes
She's a zaftig woman, with long red hair and a pale rose complexion setting off those baby blues.—Michele Kort
3
baby blues plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: a feeling of sadness that is experienced by a woman shortly after giving birth, that is typically accompanied by other symptoms (such as mood swings, crying spells, and insomnia), and that usually lasts less than two weeks : postpartum blues
Baby blues isn't an illness or even a proper psychiatric diagnosis, it is simply a way that people have tried to describe unpleasant feelings that occur shortly after having a baby and tend to resolve in a few days.—Jackie Ganley
—usually used with theShe suffered a case of the baby blues for a few days after having the baby.
compare postpartum depression
Cite this Entry
“Baby blue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baby%20blue. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.
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