blank

1 of 3

adjective

ˈblaŋk 

1

archaic : colorless

2

a

: appearing or causing to appear dazed, confounded, or nonplussed

stared in blank dismay

b

: expressionless

a blank stare

3

a

: devoid of covering or content

a blank space

: such as

(1)

: free from writing or marks

a blank sheet of paper

(2)

: without any recorded sound or information

a blank drive/DVD/disk

b

: having spaces to be filled in

a blank application form

see also blank check

c

: lacking interest, variety, or change

blank hours

4

: absolute, unqualified

a blank refusal

5

: unfinished

especially : having a plain or unbroken surface where an opening is usual

a blank key

a blank arch

blankly adverb

blankness noun

blank

2 of 3

noun

1

obsolete : the bull's-eye of a target

2

a

: an empty space (as on a paper)

b

: a paper with spaces for the entry of data

an order blank

3

a

: a piece of material prepared to be made into something (such as a key) by a further operation

b

: a cartridge loaded with propellant and a seal but no projectile

4

a

: an empty or featureless place or space

my mind was a blank

b

: a vacant or uneventful period

a long blank in history

5

: a dash substituting for an omitted word

blank

3 of 3

verb

blanked; blanking; blanks

transitive verb

1

a

: obscure, obliterate

blank out a line

b

: to stop access to : seal

blank off a tunnel

2

: to keep (an opponent) from scoring

were blanked for eight innings

3

British slang : to treat (a friend or acquaintance) in a hostile or unfriendly way : to ignore or refuse to talk to (someone)

And unpopular Gardiner has found himself isolated after the show's cast and crew blanked him.

—Mark Jefferies

intransitive verb

1

: fade

—usually used with out

the music blanked out

2

: to become confused or abstracted

—often used with out

his mind blanked out momentarily

Synonyms

Adjective

• catatonic
• deadpan
• empty
• expressionless
• impassive
• inexpressive
• numb
• stolid
• vacant

Noun

• document
• form
• paper

Choose the Right Synonym for blank

empty, vacant, blank, void, vacuous mean lacking contents which could or should be present.

empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

Examples of blank in a Sentence

Adjective

a blank sheet of paper

a book with blank pages

Noun

The form has a blank for your signature.

The actors are shooting blanks.

Verb

The goalie blanked the Falcons for two periods in the hockey game.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Voters currently use blank thermal paper ballots made specifically for the Tarrant County voting equipment, which are made by Hart Intercivic. —Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024

By Michael Waters In 2011, demographic researchers across America realized something surprising: Census forms had a lot of spots left blank. —Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024

Prosecutors say the second cop wrestled with the suspect until his gun jammed at point blank in an explosion of violence in Far Rockaway, a neighborhood in Queens. —Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2024

For many scientists, the significance of Covid — the blank slatedness of it all — was initially obscured by the fact that this extraordinary opportunity came wrapped in a global health crisis. —Helen Branswell, STAT, 28 Mar. 2024

In one instance, the cat will encounter an artist staring at a blank canvas. —Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024

They are accused of storming Crocus City Hall in a Moscow suburb on Friday, shooting civilians at point blank before setting the building on fire, causing the roof to collapse while concert-goers were still inside. —Christian Edwards, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024

Some fans pulled up to the location and posted images of a blank building facade to social media, suggesting there was no projection at all. —Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024

For Velez's fifth birthday, a friend gave her a blank sketch book. —Journal Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2024

Noun

Memoirs like One Way Back are sometimes treated as justice by another means: books that step in where accountability has proved elusive—correcting the record, filling in the blanks, and restoring a narrative to its rightful owner. —Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2024

State workplace safety regulators say Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for storage, maintenance and handling of firearms and ammunition on set and for loading firearms with blanks that have a charge but no projectile, or inert dummy rounds. —Morgan Lee, Twin Cities, 13 Feb. 2024

In the absence of official information about the Phone 2A, the rumor mill has been working hard to fill in the blanks. —Jon Porter, The Verge, 13 Feb. 2024

The production’s prop department had cut corners, filming one scene with a bullet that was fixed so it would be stuck in the gun’s barrel, and then firing a blank that forced the bullet out of the gun, hitting Lee in the stomach, killing him. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2024

At San Marino High School, police officers planned to fire blanks to mimic the sound of gunfire, but the drill was ultimately canceled over concerns of traumatizing students. —Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024

There are many people who know estate planning quite well but draw blanks when issues about gift tax returns are raised. —Bob Carlson, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024

Wenders doesn’t attempt to fill in the blanks for us. —Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Feb. 2024

All their 24/7 tables are 5-10% softer than average, and 250+ online casino games fill in the blanks. —Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024

Verb

The shutout was the fourth time in Oakland history the A’s were blanked to start the season. —Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024

Leland 5, No. 8 Branham 0: Leland pulled off the upset, blanking Branham at home. —Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024

The two of them also blanked out their eyebrows for an even more alien-like appearance. —Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024

In the early game, Arkansas blanked Southeast Missouri State 5-0. —Chip Souza, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2024

Rancho Buena Vista blanked Fallbrook 3-0, but had to go to OT to beat Valhalla 3-2. —John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2024

The Freeway League champion blanked a swift Canyon squad in the second half en route to an 8-3 victory in the Division 2 quarterfinals at Yorba Linda High. —Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 11 Feb. 2024

Her co-stars, Charles Melton and Julianne Moore, were similarly blanked for supporting roles. —USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024

Other films with five or more nods that were blanked were Maestro (seven nods), All of Us Strangers (six) and Barbie and Saltburn (five each). —Paul Grein, Billboard, 18 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English blank, blaunk "white, (of a document) having empty spaces to be filled in," borrowed from Anglo-French blanc, (feminine) blanche "white, pale, bright, not written on" (also continental Old French), going back to Gallo-Romance *blanko-, borrowed from Germanic *blanka- "bright, without color" (whence Old English blanca, blonca "white horse," Old Saxon wahsblank "white as wax, dun-colored," Middle Dutch blank "light-colored [of a complexion]," Old High German blanc, blanch "pale, white [especially of horses]," Old Icelandic blakkr "pale, brownish-yellow [especially of horses]"), derivative, with infixed -n-, of *blaka-, the etymon of Old English blæc, blac "black, (of other colors) dark" — more at black entry 1

Note: G. Kroonen (Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic) takes Germanic *blanka- as a derivative of a strong verb represented by Dutch blinken "to shine" (see blink entry 1). Elsewhere Dutch blinken, English blink entry 1, blench entry 1, etc., have been taken as secondary derivatives of *blanka- (see R. Lühr, Expressivität und Lautgesetz im Germanischen [Heidelberg, 1988], pp. 96-97; A.L. Lloyd, et al., Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, vol. 2, pp. 157-58).

Noun

derivative of blank entry 1

Verb

derivative of blank entry 1 or blank entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1764, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing blank

• blank stare
• point-blank
• blank line
• blank page
• blank check
• blank slate
• blank verse
• blank check company
• go blank
• draw a blank

Kids Definition

blank

1 of 3 adjective

ˈblaŋk 

1

: being without writing, printing, or marks

a blank sheet of paper

2

: having empty spaces to be filled in

a blank form

3

: having no expression

a blank look

4

: lacking variety, change, or accomplishment : empty

a blank day

5

: without exceptions : absolute sense 3

blank refusal

6

: not shaped into finished form

a blank key

blankly adverb

blankness noun

blank

2 of 3 noun

1

a

: an empty space (as on a paper)

b

: a paper with spaces for the entry of information

2

: an empty place

my mind was a blank

3

: a piece of material prepared to be made into something (as a key)

4

: a cartridge loaded with gunpowder but no bullet

blank

3 of 3 verb

1

: to keep from scoring

were blanked for eight innings

2

: to become confused

blanked out for a moment