bless

verb

ˈbles 

blessed ˈblest  also blest ˈblest  ; blessing

transitive verb

1

religion : to hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word

asked the priest to bless their marriage

Bless this home.

2

religion : to hallow with the sign of the cross

He blessed himself before liftoff.

3

: to invoke divine care for

bless your heart

—used in the phrase bless you to wish good health especially to one who has just sneezed

4

a

: praise, glorify

bless his holy name

b

: to speak well of : approve

5

: to confer prosperity or happiness upon

God has blessed us with four children.

6

archaic : protect, preserve

Bless me from marrying a usurer!

—Shakespeare

7

: endow, favor

blessed with athletic ability

Synonyms of bless

• consecrate
• dedicate
• sanctify
• hallow

Examples of bless in a Sentence

The priest blessed their marriage at the wedding.

The water for the baptism has been blessed.

The priest blessed the baby I held in my arms.

Recent Examples on the Web

But there is something about catching a wild fish in its native environment, and in this country, we are blessed with an abundance of places to do just that. —Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026

God bless the United States of America. —Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 18 June 2026

We were blessed with a beautiful blend of new ideas and reboots of classic franchises that pushed the boundaries of the genre. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 17 June 2026

Emory University professor Carol Anderson compared Callais and the resulting redistricting push to poll taxes and literacy tests imposed by white Southern conservatives — and blessed by the Supreme Court — during the Jim Crow era. —Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English blētsian, from blōd blood; from the use of blood in consecration

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bless

• bless my soul
• bless you
• God bless you

Rhymes for bless

• chess
• cress
• dress
• es
• ess
• esse
• fess
• guess
• jess
• less
• lesse
• mess

Kids Definition

bless

verb

ˈbles 

blessed ˈblest  also blest ˈblest  ; blessing

1

: to make holy : hallow

2

: to make the sign of the cross upon or over

3

: to ask divine care or protection for

4

: to praise or honor as holy

5

: to make successful or happy

6

: endow sense 2, favor

Etymology

Old English blētsian, blēdsian "to bless, to consecrate (originally with blood)," derived from blōd "blood"