1
a
: the act or words of one that blesses
say the blessing over the wine
a priestly blessing
b
: approval, encouragement
asked her parents for their blessing before he proposed
2
: a thing conducive to happiness or welfare
My daughter is a blessing to me in my old age.
Their absence turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Count your blessings.
3
: grace (see grace entry 1 sense 5) said at a meal
said the blessing before dinner
Examples of blessing in a Sentence
Presumably he was acting with the government's blessing.
They got married without their parents' blessing.
We asked the Lord's blessing on us and on our project.
He said a blessing before the meal.
Recent Examples on the Web
At that time there was only one drug, but the blessing is, now there are over 40.
—
Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Sep. 2023
The time off for Garcia, in particular, might have been a blessing in disguise.
—Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 18 Sep. 2023
But that only matters if a team is able to capitalize on the blessings being thrown their way.
—Ainslie Lee | Alee@al.com, al, 17 Sep. 2023
Become a Subscriber Lithium is a blessing nearly as old as time itself.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2023
Having permission to get a proper night’s sleep was a blessing whether people liked it or not.
—Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 14 Sep. 2023
The California teen was delighted to receive a reply from the Pope, who sent a letter with a blessing.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2023
From the archive: How to move on after a spouse’s emotional affair
Decades later, the ex won’t work together to save their son
How to ask girlfriend’s father for blessing?
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023
Walking out of the hospital with my baby boy in my tummy and safe was the truest blessing.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2023
See More
Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Sep. 2023
The time off for Garcia, in particular, might have been a blessing in disguise.
—Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 18 Sep. 2023
But that only matters if a team is able to capitalize on the blessings being thrown their way.
—Ainslie Lee | Alee@al.com, al, 17 Sep. 2023
Become a Subscriber Lithium is a blessing nearly as old as time itself.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2023
Having permission to get a proper night’s sleep was a blessing whether people liked it or not.
—Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 14 Sep. 2023
The California teen was delighted to receive a reply from the Pope, who sent a letter with a blessing.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2023
From the archive: How to move on after a spouse’s emotional affair
Decades later, the ex won’t work together to save their son
How to ask girlfriend’s father for blessing?
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023
Walking out of the hospital with my baby boy in my tummy and safe was the truest blessing.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blessing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing blessing
Dictionary Entries Near blessing
Cite this Entry
“Blessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blessing. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
blessing
noun
bless·ing
ˈbles-iŋ
1
: the act or words of one that blesses
2
: approval
gave my blessing to the plan
3
: something that makes one happy or content
4
: grace said at a meal
More from Merriam-Webster on blessing
Nglish: Translation of blessing for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of blessing for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about blessing
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