bless

verb

ˈbles 

blessed ˈblest  also blest ˈblest  ; blessing

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

4

a

: 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

• consecrate
• hallow
• sacralize
• sanctify

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Bigger, Longer-Term Picture Geographically blessed, demographically poised and economically resilient, the U.S. faces a potential real estate challenge that could be severe and possibly contagious. —Caleb Richter, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023

This time of year is really important just to eat good, bless each other, and bless those who are less fortunate than us. —Florence O'Connor, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2023

As if all of this isn't enough, the brand blessed us with seven new limited-edition sets — some exclusively available this weekend. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 22 Nov. 2023

We were blessed to be surrounded by incredible friends & family who supported us each step of the way. —Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023

Monica, with a son in college and a daughter who is about to start her master’s degree program, bought two folders of academic degrees to be blessed by the Virgin. —Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023

To the owners, the relocation vote was less about blessing a slam-dunk move and more about grabbing a lifeline extended by Las Vegas rather than prolonging the never-ending search for a new ballpark in Oakland. —Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023

Well, Eric Carr, bless him, was one of the pure souls, never said anything bad about anybody, was a multi-instrumentalist, could play piano, keyboards, guitar. —Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 2023

Little guy is so lucky to have these aunties and I’m forever blessed to have their love. —Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 14 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing bless

• bless my soul
• bless you
• God bless you

• bless my soul
• bless you
• God bless you

Kids Definition

bless

verb

ˈbles 

blessed ˈblest  also blest ˈblest  ; blessing

1

: to make holy : hallow

2

: to make the sign of the cross upon or over

3

: to ask divine care or protection for

4

: to praise or honor as holy

5

: to make successful or happy

6

: endow sense 2, favor

Etymology

Old English blētsian, blēdsian "to bless, to consecrate (originally with blood)," derived from blōd "blood"