blessing

noun

bless·​ing ˈble-siŋ How to pronounce blessing (audio)
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

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

Etymology

see bless

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of blessing was before the 12th century

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.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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