bless

verb \ ˈbles \

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

Additionally, the Rams are blessed with a quartet of talented individuals as sets of cousins, the Banks (Antwain and Deonta both juniors) and McDowell's (Christian and Naseem both seniors).

— randy mcroberts, The Aegis, "2017 high school football preview," 30 Aug. 2017
Of course, there are exceptions; some people — executive assistants with demanding bosses come to mind — really are on call all the time, bless their souls.

— kathryn jezer-morton, The Cut, "You Can’t Enforce Screen-Time Limits If You’re Always on Your Phone," 30 Aug. 2017
High school quarterbacks are almost never blessed with 34 varsity games of experience entering their senior season.

— steve soucie, chicagotribune.com, "Veteran Luke Ricobene helps IC Catholic begin title defense with a win," 26 Aug. 2017
May God (or natural selection — depending on your worldview) bless you all.

— steve watkins, star-telegram, "Neptune Locals show at the Grotto brings a wave of emotions," 24 Aug. 2017
The defensive midfielder is also blessed with a cannon of a right-foot, and is partial to a pot-shot when the opportunity arises.

— SI.com, "Arsenal Eye Unsettled Real Madrid Midfielder as They Aim to Boost Squad Before Transfer Window Shuts," 22 Aug. 2017
That, or each blend is blessed by some sort of crab angel before being packaged and sprinkled on seafood boils across the world.

— alex delany, Bon Appetit, "9 Foods We'll Always Buy, Never Make," 22 Aug. 2017
Luckily, I am blessed with an inner drive and a support system of family and friends that encourage me to move forward.

— serena williams, Fortune, "Serena Williams: How Black Women Can Close the Pay Gap," 31 July 2017
Blessed Charles de Foucauld and Saint Augustine had a similar calling.

— nr interview, National Review, "Finding Peace with Mary Magdalene," 22 July 2017

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

See Words from the same year

bless Synonyms

Synonyms

consecrate, hallow, sacralize, sanctify

Antonyms

deconsecrate, desacralize, desanctify

Related Words

baptize, canonize, spiritualize; chasten, cleanse, lustrate, purify; exorcise (also exorcize), expurgate; commit, dedicate, devote; reconsecrate

Near Antonyms

defile, desecrate, profane; dirty, foul, pollute, soil, taint, violate; blaspheme, curse, cuss, damn, execrate; cast out, condemn, damn, punish

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

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up bless? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

bless

Definition of bless

People Are Reading

Examples of bless in a Sentence

Recent Examples of bless from the Web

Origin and Etymology of bless

bless Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Christian Religious Terms

Phrases Related to BLESS

Related Phrases

BLESS Defined for English Language Learners

bless

Definition of bless for English Language Learners

BLESS Defined for Kids

bless

Definition of bless for Students

Learn More about bless

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

The Synonyms 'Discover' and 'Invent'

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066