blight

noun

\ ˈblīt

Definition of blight

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 botany

a : a disease or injury of plants marked by the formation of lesions, withering, and death of parts (such as leaves and tubers) potato blight

b : an organism (such as an insect or a fungus) that causes blight

2 : something that frustrates plans or hopes the blight of poverty an abandoned factory that was a blight on the neighborhood

3 : something that impairs or destroys … censorship … has brought under its blight Ireland's greatest poets, dramatists, and scholars.— Paul Blanshard

4 : a deteriorated condition urban blight

blight

verb

blighted; blighting; blights

Definition of blight (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 botany : to affect (a plant) with a disease or injury marked by the formation of lesions, withering, and death of parts (such as leaves and tubers) : to affect with blight (see blight entry 1 sense 1) The apple trees were blighted by fungus.

2 : to impair the quality or effect of the condition that has blighted his son's life— Patricia Guthrie

intransitive verb

botany : to suffer from or become affected with blight The potatoes blighted.

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about blight

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Examples of blight in a Sentence

Noun

the city's spreading urban blight the expanding urban sprawl is a blight on the countryside

Verb

Builders blighted the land with malls and parking lots.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Having a space that is beautiful gives a tremendous amount of pride to the local community, especially communities like Washington Park, which is surrounded by a high unemployment rate and a high degree of blight. — Natalie Wade, chicagotribune.com, "Activists and farmers tackle food deserts on Chicago’s South Side — 'Food is a tool of resistance’," 28 June 2019 An IndyStar investigation of city blight in 2015 found that Mt. Helix had quickly become the city's top violator of health and safety codes. — Tim Evans, Indianapolis Star, "5 housing schemes that dragged down Indianapolis neighborhoods," 28 June 2019 Whatever the blight was seems to have been killed by the sudden dip in temperature early on. — Bonnie Blodgett, Twin Cities, "Blundering Gardener: To be a gardener, it’s best to embrace the win some, lose some philosophy," 22 June 2019 Many issues are obvious, such as the blight in neighborhoods along Highway 4, homelessness and subpar roads in downtown. — Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, "Letter: Before Antioch can rebrand, it must improve quality of life," 15 June 2019 The garbage and human waste that ensue are not just a blight on the city but a health hazard, as my colleagues have relentlessly reported. — Robin Abcarian, latimes.com, "Housing the homeless hits NIMBY wall in ‘progressive’ Venice," 4 June 2019 A few months ago, 35 state attorneys general asked the feds to do more to address this blight. — Roger Meiners, WSJ, "A Tax on Robocalls Makes Plenty of Cents," 27 Mar. 2019 Will Arvin and Wes Murry saw potential where others perceived only blight. — Bruce Schreiner, The Seattle Times, "Newcomers bring decaying Kentucky distillery back to life," 18 Sep. 2018 In their Broadway East neighborhood, the couple have been the keepers of a block squeezed by crime and blight. — Tim Prudente, baltimoresun.com, "‘The block took my baby’: Shooting haunts East Baltimore home of retirees, 'block captain'," 27 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Community action officers — who assist with block watches and community group concerns — and officers in the neighborhood-enforcement teams — who respond to blight and neighborhood crimes — will not wear body cameras, Martos said. — Jessica Boehm, azcentral, "Phoenix is the largest city in the nation without widespread police body cameras," 17 June 2019 The move fits into a larger effort the city has been making around blighted or abandoned properties, demolishing the structures and working to get the lots back on the tax rolls, Mayor Leon Rockingham said. — Emily K. Coleman, Lake County News-Sun, "North Chicago creates beautification program to help property owners remove graffiti," 11 June 2019 Canada on Monday joined a growing global movement with a plan to ban single-use plastics blighting the environment. — Dan Bilefsky, BostonGlobe.com, "Canada joins global movement to ban single-use plastics," 10 June 2019 Knull and Schwander's allegations, as well news of Harrison's death, are just the latest to blight the Dominican tourist hotspot. — Elizabeth Llorente, Fox News, "Colorado couple files suit alleging chemicals at Dominican Republic resort made them critically ill," 7 June 2019 And Anderson, who remains the focal point of the Hammers' negotiations for the time being, managed eight goals and ten assists over 32 games in all competitions, despite having a season mildly blighted by injuries. — SI.com, "West Ham Swoop for Brazilian Forward Reportedly Stalling Due to Increased Demands From Lazio," 15 June 2018 Newcastle are in a similarly nervy situation, as their lack of summer investment has seen their return to the Premier League blighted with inconsistency - leaving them 15th in the table. — SI.com, "West Ham Plot Surprise Move for Newcastle Winger as Relegation Battle Starts to Heat Up," 16 Jan. 2018 Now the pesky Permian is blighting Iranian hopes again. — Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, "How American Fracking Changes the World," 26 Nov. 2018 Minneapolis began to spruce up its river shorelines and adjacent neighborhoods earlier than other cities, drawing residents and development to a part of town once blighted by industry and railroad tracks, parking lots and pollution. — Cecilie Rohwedder, WSJ, "The Latest Housing Hotspot: Downtown and by the River," 6 Dec. 2018

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

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Statistics for blight

Last Updated

8 Jul 2019

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Time Traveler for blight

The first known use of blight was in 1578

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More Definitions for blight

blight

noun

English Language Learners Definition of blight

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a disease that makes plants dry up and die

: something that causes harm or damage like a disease

: a damaged condition

blight

verb

English Language Learners Definition of blight (Entry 2 of 2)

: to damage (plants) with a disease

: to damage (a thing or place)

See the full definition for blight in the English Language Learners Dictionary

blight

noun

\ ˈblīt

Kids Definition of blight

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a disease that makes parts of plants dry up and die

blight

verb

blighted; blighting

Kids Definition of blight (Entry 2 of 2)

: to injure or destroy by or as if by a blight Huge signs blighted the landscape.

blight

noun

\ ˈblīt

Medical Definition of blight

Australian

: an inflammation of the eye in which the eyelids discharge a thick mucous substance that often seals them up for days and minute granular pustules develop inside the lid

— called also sandy blight