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bless

verb
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\ ˈbles How to pronounce bless (audio) \
blessed\ ˈblest How to pronounce blessed (audio) \ also blest\ ˈblest How to pronounce blest (audio) \; blessing

Definition of bless

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
4a : 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 & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about bless

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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web Jasmine said her son had a deep love for Jesus and often said long prayers, blessing the floor and trees and thanking God for air, shoes and even bread. — Chelsea Curtis, azcentral, "'Holden was my little man': 6-year-old boy killed by semi-truck remembered in Mesa," 8 Feb. 2020 Now to actually start radiation... #cancerslayer #warrior #fightlikeagirl #blessedA post shared by ShannenDoherty (@theshando) on Nov 18, 2016 at 12:57pm PST Doherty's relapse is unfortunately quite common for her particular diagnosis. — Elly Belle, refinery29.com, "Shannen Doherty Reveals That Her Struggle With Breast Cancer Isn’t Over Yet," 4 Feb. 2020 The coin used for the flip is made from a rare metal mined on Uranus and blessed by the Dalai Lama and Pitbull. — Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, "Super Bowl review: A coin flip, fans, friendly 49ers, and ... iguanas?," 3 Feb. 2020 For those of us who were unable to make the Thursday trip to Miami, social media blessed followers with proof of the epic duet, sharing clips of dancing, singing, and the two twirling in a shower of confetti. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Harry Styles Joined Lizzo for an Unforgettable “Juice” Performance," 31 Jan. 2020 Aretha follows the late Aretha Franklin’s days as a young gifted gospel singer to later becoming a civil rights advocate, and eventually being one of the greatest singers to ever bless a mic. — Taiia Smart Young, Essence, "Raphael Saadiq Joins ‘Aretha’ Series As Executive Music Producer," 30 Jan. 2020 The tweet shared a picture of the Air Force’s chief of chaplains alongside two Episcopal Church leaders blessing a King James Bible. — Garrett M. Graff, Wired, "The US Space Force Has a Rough Launch on the Internet," 28 Jan. 2020 Several chefs had shown up to bless the new endeavor: the line’s first studio kitchen, a place for passengers to cook along with the experts. — Rosemary Mcclure, Los Angeles Times, "Carnival Panorama, the cruise line’s new Long Beach-based ship, delivers fun, games," 25 Jan. 2020 For a small donation visitors can take a coconut from the ashram, tie it to a fence post and collect it later after a priest blesses it. — Omar Mouallem, WSJ, "Trinidad: A Caribbean Vacation With an Indian Flavor," 17 Jan. 2020

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.

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First Known Use of bless

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

History and Etymology for bless

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

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Time Traveler for bless

Time Traveler

The first known use of bless was before the 12th century

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Statistics for bless

Last Updated

15 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Bless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bless. Accessed 18 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for bless

bless

verb
How to pronounce bless (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of bless

: 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

See the full definition for bless in the English Language Learners Dictionary

bless

verb
\ ˈbles How to pronounce bless (audio) \
blessed\ ˈblest \ also blest; blessing

Kids Definition of bless

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.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bless

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bless

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with 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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