bless

verb \ ˈbles \

Updated on: 10 May 2018

Definition of bless

blessed play \ˈblest\ also blest play \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

See bless defined for English-language learners

See bless defined for kids

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 of bless from the Web

Mocco over Dow The area was blessed with a number of state wrestling championships; in fact, all eight of our Sports Awards nominees won crowns at the Kohl Center.

— jr radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Radcliffe: The great individual moments of the past year in Milwaukee-area prep sports," 7 May 2018
He and his sweet wife, Mary, were known throughout the family as two of the nicest people our family was blessed to claim as relatives.

— linda gandee/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Dementia test in Rocky River proved to be not so scary," 7 May 2018
This weekend, Houston was blessed with beautiful weather and locals got out to enjoy local events in the sunshine.

— heather leighton, Houston Chronicle, "Houstonians celebrate Cinco de Mayo, music during weekend events," 6 May 2018
His rivals accused him of blessing the impunity that plagues criminal justice.

— The Economist, "Mexico’s murder rate heads for a new record," 5 May 2018
Bharara just happened to be musing on America’s blessed separation of powers.

— jason pontin, WIRED, "Donald Trump and the Golden Age of Subtweeting," 4 May 2018
Cordero, a lefty-swinging outfielder blessed with a remarkable mix of speed and pop, has indeed delivered some majestic shots.

— jorge l. ortiz, USA TODAY, "Padre punch: Rookies Franchy Cordero, Christian Villanueva show off power," 3 May 2018
The OGs who were blessed with the Machinists and 1990 can still get worked up over the Reds failings.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Paul Daugherty: If you're 27 or younger, how do you rate Cincinnati's sports scene?," 1 May 2018
Gwen leaves behind her husband of 49 years, Dr. Walter F. Miner, and step-daughters Lynn Miner and Kathy McAllister (both of Stafford, VA).She was also blessed with 6 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.

— orlando sentinel, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Deaths in Central Florida: 4/29," 29 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bless.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bless

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

bless Synonyms

Other Christian Religious Terms

Pentateuch, blasphemy, curate, doxology, eremite, iconoclasm, liturgy, orison, pneuma, reliquary

BLESS Defined for English Language Learners

bless

verb

Definition of bless for English Language Learners

: to make (something or someone) holy by saying a special prayer
: to ask God to care for and protect (someone or something)
: to provide (a person, place, etc.) with something good or desirable

BLESS Defined for Kids

bless

verb \ ˈbles \

Definition of bless for Students

blessed \ˈblest\ also blest; blessing

1 : to make holy by a religious ceremony or words

bless an altar

2 : to ask the favor or protection of God for

Bless the children of the world.

Hint: The phrase bless you is used to wish good health especially to someone who has just sneezed.

3 : to praise or honor as holy

bless the Lord

4 : to give happiness or good fortune to

He is blessed with good health.

Learn More about bless

See words that rhyme with bless Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bless Spanish Central: Translation of bless Nglish: Translation of bless for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bless for Arabic speakers

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bless

Definition of bless

Examples of bless in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of bless

bless Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Other Christian Religious Terms

Phrases Related to BLESS

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BLESS Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of bless for English Language Learners

BLESS Defined for Kids

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