blind spot

noun

plural blind spots

1

a

: the small circular area at the back of the retina where the optic nerve enters the eyeball and which is devoid of rods and cones and is not sensitive to light

called also optic disc

see eye illustration

b

: a portion of a field that cannot be seen or inspected with available equipment

2

sometimes offensive : an area in which someone fails to exercise judgment or discrimination see usage paragraph at blind entry 1

Examples of blind spot in a Sentence

When driving on the highway, you need to make sure no one is in your blind spot before changing lanes.

She has a blind spot concerning her son's behavior.

Recent Examples on the Web

Without it, assumptions harden and blind spots multiply. —Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026

Kikuchi, for her part, imbues the character with dimensions by turns gentle and thorny, but Haru’s unwillingness to meaningfully confront her loss is a blind spot that ends up applied to the story as a whole. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026

But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the subsequent severing of international ties with its polar researchers, created a huge blind spot. —Lara Williams, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026

One of the blind spots of being a beauty editor is the price of products. —Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for blind spot

• allot
• barat
• begot
• besought
• bethought
• bloodshot
• boycott
• buckshot
• crackpot
• croat
• culottes
• dashpot

Kids Definition

blind spot

noun

1

a

: a point in the retina through which the optic nerve enters and which does not respond to light

b

: a part of an area that cannot be seen with available equipment

2

: an area of weakness (as in judgment)

Medical Definition

blind spot

noun

: the small circular area in the retina where the optic nerve enters the eye that is devoid of rods and cones and is insensitive to light

called also optic disc