blessed

adjective bless·ed \ ˈble-səd \

variants: or less commonly blest play \ˈblest\

Definition of blessed

1 religion

a :held in reverence :venerated

the blessed saints

b :honored in worship :hallowed

the blessed Trinity

c :beatific

a blessed visitation

2 :of or enjoying happiness; specifically, Christianity :enjoying the bliss of heaven —used as a title for a beatified person

the blessed Virgin Mary

3 :bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune

a blessed event

4 —used as an intensive

never had one blessed minute of instruction
—Charles Scribner Jr.

—

blessedly

adverb

—

blessedness

noun

See blessed defined for English-language learners

See blessed defined for kids

Examples of blessed in a Sentence

The rain brought blessed relief from the heat.
He spent his weekend in blessed freedom.

Recent Examples of blessed from the Web

The German youth like breakdancing and—oh blessed freedom!—skateboarding.

— josephine livingstone, New Republic, "Charlize Theron, On Ice," 27 July 2017
Daily proximity to the Blessed Sacrament helps us to overcome the inner disturbance that at times threatens to overwhelm us.

— nr interview, National Review, "Finding Peace with Mary Magdalene," 22 July 2017
The news effectively disrupted sleep, made people feel grateful to be alive in the same era as this blessed family unit, and some users jokingly reported an inability to breathe.

— ashley hoffman, Time, "The Internet Has Officially Lost Its Mind. Beyoncé's Twin Baby Announcement World Takeover Is Here," 14 July 2017
This blessed man has the job of chilling with Trudeau on the daily, and photographer Adam Scotti has been documenting some of his best moments.

— mehera bonner, Marie Claire, "You're Going to Be Obsessed with Justin Trudeau's Super Exhausted Personal Assistant," 5 July 2017
The new nickname lasted a week before it was ridiculed into blessed oblivion.

— charles p. pierce, SI.com, "As progress rounds off Marquette's edges, celebrating a unique program's unlikely success," 26 June 2017
The Baywatch star, 29, Instagrammed a sporty photo of himself and his younger – and equally genetically blessed –

— alexis chestnov, PEOPLE.com, "Zac Efron and His Little Brother Get in Some Bonding Time on L.A. Bike Trip," 26 June 2017
Respectfully, your loving and blessed son, Bill Contact Rochelle Riley at rriley99@freepress.com.

— rochelle riley, Detroit Free Press, "Metro Detroit dads share life lessons from their late fathers," 18 June 2017
Azeneth Rodriguez wasn’t as blessed as the 12-year-old, who escaped harm.

— joe robertson, kansascity.com, "Remembering a terrified 12-year-old: MADD laments lives lost, cherishes lives saved," 17 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of blessed

see bless

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

blessed Synonyms

Synonyms

holy (also blest), divine, godlike, godly, heavenly, sacred, supernatural

Antonyms

deconsecrated, desacralized, unconsecrated, unhallowed

Related Words

eternal, everlasting, immortal; all-powerful, almighty, omnipotent, omniscient, supreme

Near Antonyms

human, mortal, natural

Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra

BLESSED Defined for English Language Learners

blessed

adjective

Definition of blessed for English Language Learners

: having a sacred nature : connected with God
: very welcome, pleasant, or appreciated
—used to make a statement more forceful

BLESSED Defined for Kids

blessed

adjective bless·ed \ ˈble-səd , ˈblest \

Definition of blessed for Students

1 :holy 1

2 :enjoying happiness

—

blessedness

\ˈble-səd-nəs\ noun

Learn More about blessed

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for blessed Spanish Central: Translation of blessed Nglish: Translation of blessed for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of blessed for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

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

show

blessed

Definition of blessed

blessedly

blessedness

People Are Reading

Examples of blessed in a Sentence

Recent Examples of blessed from the Web

Origin and Etymology of blessed

blessed Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

BLESSED Defined for English Language Learners

blessed

Definition of blessed for English Language Learners

BLESSED Defined for Kids

blessed

Definition of blessed for Students

blessedness

Learn More about blessed

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

8 Words for Trickery and Deception

'Dis': From Early Rap to Academic Journals

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

The Exceptions Quiz III

Words of the Year: 1066