blessing

noun bless·ing

Definition of blessing

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 ¹grace 5) said at a meal

said the blessing before dinner

See blessing defined for English-language learners

See blessing defined for kids

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 of blessing from the Web

That makes Couples a hot commodity in his infrequent playing appearances here, a blessing and a curse.

— larry stone, The Seattle Times, "Healthy and back in Seattle, Fred Couples enjoying strong Champions Tour season," 24 Aug. 2017
That, more than anything, has been a blessing and a comfort.

— ellen mcgirt, Fortune, "How to Ask the Tough Questions About Race and Diversity," 24 Aug. 2017
But the celebratory atmosphere faded when Native Hawaiian protesters blocked a convoy of dignitaries heading up the mountain for a blessing and groundbreaking.

— ilima loomis, Science | AAAS, "How the world’s largest solar telescope rose on Maui while nearby protests derailed a larger scope," 1 Aug. 2017
Times when something warm and meaty is a blessing, but a practical one.

— luke darby, GQ, "The Choripán is Argentina's Perfect Answer to Street Food," 29 July 2017
But of all these blessings, McGrail is most pleased that all his children and Pauline’s children — six between them — and their grandchildren live in Keller.

— marice richter photos by bob booth, star-telegram, "Blast from the past," 28 July 2017
The Army's presence over the last 100 years has been a blessing and a curse, according to many residents.

— allan vought, The Aegis, "At a community forum, a hopeful view emerges about Edgewood's future," 19 July 2017
When his company, located in Batavia, expanded to a new site in February 2016, the Rev. Coleman gave an invocation and prayed for blessings on all the Savor Seasonings staff, The Clermont Sun reported.

— jennie key, Cincinnati.com, "Driver in crash that killed Father Coleman identified by police," 17 July 2017
Consumers are better off, yet the blessing is mixed.

— dan mcswain, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Economy is finally back, but where's the joy?," 16 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of blessing

see bless

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

blessing Synonyms

Synonyms

benediction, benison, laying on of hands

Antonyms

anathema, curse, execration, imprecation, malediction

Related Words

Godspeed; appeal, entreaty, grace, intercession, invocation, orison, petition, plea, prayer, supplication; sanctification

Near Antonyms

hex, hoodoo, jinx; bother, irritant, nuisance, pest; disadvantage; cross, misery, trial, tribulation

BLESSING Defined for English Language Learners

blessing

noun

Definition of blessing for English Language Learners

: approval that allows or helps you to do something
: help and approval from God
: something that helps you or brings happiness

BLESSING Defined for Kids

blessing

noun bless·ing \ ˈble-sing \

Definition of blessing for Students

1 :the act of someone who blesses

2 :approval

Voters gave their blessing to the plan.

3 :something that makes a person happy or content

We enjoy the blessings of peace.

4 :a short prayer She said a blessing before dinner.

Learn More about blessing

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for blessing Spanish Central: Translation of 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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blessing

Definition of blessing

From the M-W Editors

Examples of blessing in a Sentence

Recent Examples of blessing from the Web

Origin and Etymology of blessing

blessing Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Phrases Related to BLESSING

Related Phrases

BLESSING Defined for English Language Learners

blessing

Definition of blessing for English Language Learners

BLESSING Defined for Kids

blessing

Definition of blessing for Students

Learn More about blessing

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