1
a(1)
(2)
: having less than ¹/₁₀ of normal vision in the more efficient eye when refractive defects are fully corrected by lenses
b
: of or relating to sightless persons
2
a
: unable or unwilling to discern or judge
blind to a lover's faults
b
: unquestioning
blind loyalty
3
a
: having no regard to rational discrimination, guidance, or restriction
blind choice
b
: lacking a directing or controlling consciousness
blind chance
c
4
a
: made or done without sight of certain objects or knowledge of certain facts that could serve for guidance or cause bias
a blind taste test
compare double-blind, single-blind
b
: having no knowledge of information that may cause bias during the course of an experiment or test
physicians blind to whether the test drug is administered
5
: defective: such as
a
: lacking a growing point or producing leaves instead of flowers
b
: lacking a complete or legible address
blind mail
6
a
: difficult to discern, make out, or discover
b
: hidden from sight : covered
blind seam
7
: having but one opening or outlet
blind sockets
8
: having no opening for light or passage : blank
blind wall
blinded; blinding; blinds
1
a
: to make (a person or animal) permanently blind
The accident blinded him in one eye.
b
: to cause (a person or animal) to be unable to see for a short time : dazzle
Blinded by the glare of the headlights …, the apparition stood swaying for a moment before he perceived the man in the duster.—
F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald… the popular poaching method that uses bright lights to blind and immobilize deer …—James Howard Kunstler
James Howard Kunstler
c
: to cause (someone) to be unable to think clearly or act reasonably
He was blinded by love.
… analysts and investors were too blinded by greed … to raise questions—much less look at the company's balance sheet.—Bethany McLean
Bethany McLean2
a
: to withhold light from
… such darkness blinds the sky, / That the black night receives a deeper dye.—John Dryden
John Dryden
c
: to intentionally prevent (someone, such as a researcher or study participant) from seeing certain objects or knowing certain facts that could bias, influence, or interfere with the outcome or results of a research study, clinical trial, etc.
Studies that don't blind the participants, therapists, and assessors are at higher risk of bias; they are more likely to report an effect that differs from what can be expected in practice.—Steven J. Kamper
Steven J. KamperIf participants are not blinded, knowledge of group assignment may affect their behaviour in the trial and their responses to subjective outcome measures.—Paul J. Karanicolas et al.
Paul J. Karanicolas et al.1
: something to hinder sight or keep out light: such as
a
: a window shutter
b
: a roller window shade
c
d
: blinder
2
: a place of concealment
especially
: a concealing enclosure from which one may shoot game or observe wildlife
3
a
: something put forward for the purpose of misleading : subterfuge
b
: a person who acts as a decoy or distraction
1
: blindly: such as
a
: to the point of insensibility
blind drunk
b
: without seeing outside an airplane
fly blind
c
: without knowledge of certain facts that could serve for guidance or cause bias
tasted the wine blind
2
—used as an intensive
was robbed blind
Synonyms
Examples of blind in a Sentence
Adjective
our old blind cat kept walking into walls and furniture
you'd have to be really blind to think that was a good idea
Verb
She was blinded as a child in a terrible fire.
I was blinded by the sun as I came around the corner.
He was blinded by love.
Noun
Some say the investigation is a blind to keep the public's attention off the governor.
Adverb
They had to fly blind through heavy smoke.
Recent Examples on the WebIshani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
There are plenty of blind scientists: chemists, physicists, astrophysicists.
—USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
For a franchise that will have missed the playoffs for eight straight seasons, any semblance of hope that Curry, maybe, one day, could possibly don a Hornets jersey is blind faith.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024
Aura includes visual changes, such as flickering lights, zigzag lines, and blind spots.7
Some people who experience aura also can have hearing disturbances, such as tinnitus (ringing in your ears), music, or noises.
—Yuliya Klochan, Health, 30 Mar. 2024
Neuralink has also suggested using implants to stimulate brain regions to enable blind patients to see with the aid of cameras — and Musk claims that the tech can already restore sight in monkeys.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
Being blind or Deaf can make navigating any illness harder to handle.
—Andrew Pulrang, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The turning point was when an elderly traditional healer failed in treating his own cataracts and was becoming blind.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024
The life: Avon High mascot Big O goes nationwide
In February, Dana Hunsinger Benbow and Mykal McEldowney told the story of Owen Carr — Avon High School's humble, unassuming mascot who is blind in one eye and nearly deaf in the opposite ear.
—Joe Mutascio, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Mar. 2024
Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Mar. 2024
The Sacramento police officer who shot a pepper ball that blinded a woman in one eye in 2020 — resulting in a $3 million city settlement — has been exonerated.
—Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024
Perhaps their plan involved temporarily blinding a guard in the store with a blast from a fire extinguisher, because that’s what happened.
—Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024
Green dye was thrown in his face after a rally, nearly blinding him in one eye; he was banned from running for president in 2018; his brother was imprisoned as a hostage; and he was repeatedly jailed.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024
However, despite the policy’s aim to limit distractions, the litany of security officials constantly blinding entire sections with military grade flash lights all in an effort to shun phone users is far more distracting than any smartphone could ever be.
—Quentin Singer, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Still, that desire cannot blind us to the reality of the situation on the ground.
—Thomas Fuller, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024
But Expats gently interrogates how private anguish can be blinding.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2024
The glare of the SUV’s headlights temporarily blinded the three teenagers.
—Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 13 Mar. 2024
Luckily, a few easy tips can make cleaning window blinds quick and painless.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2024
While there’s no need to hide 984 feet above Central Park, MTX’s artistic director Matthieu Bassée created blinds that played with transparency, color, and composition for blinds that look more like a work of art.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2024
He’s reported live from the kitchen, with a window covered by blinds in the background.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
Some even hunt scaup from stationary (permanent) box-style blinds along the East Coast, most notably in Chesapeake Bay.
—M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 8 Feb. 2024
To keep your home cooler through design tweaks, consider external shutters (which are more effective than curtains or blinds) and climbing plants to add shading.
—Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2024
The lavish primary suite provides two walk-in closets with custom wardrobe systems, vaulted ceilings, Stark carpet, grasscloth wallpaper, custom electric blinds and sliding glass doors that open to the deck.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 22 Feb. 2024
Birders from around the world often follow the cranes to Nebraska, waiting patiently at dawn and dusk in viewing blinds located along the river.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024
Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 3 June 2022
Forced to leave the police force after turning blind, Johnson Chong See-tun takes on cold cases the police can't solve.
—Men's Health, 29 Mar. 2022
The city told the newspaper that the recipients of the initial email were supposed to be blind-copied, meaning their names and emails would have been hidden from other recipients.
—Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 14 Feb. 2022
The lab in the bowels of the winery, where the team is blind-tasting vial after vial of intricate blends?
—Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 15 Nov. 2021
This kind of attitude is how our public-health establishment wound up blind-sided by an actual epidemic.
—WSJ, 6 Oct. 2021
The going out to watch stars, stumbling blind through the difficult door.
—Anthony Lan, The New Yorker, 5 July 2021
This year, the competition took place in Estes park, Colorado, where a professional tasting panel made of whisky, beer, and wine experts blind tasted each whisky using a 100-point scale system.
—Emily Price, Forbes, 15 June 2021
This beer was selected Best of Show at a blind-tasting event of over 40 Oktoberfest beers hosted by the Growler magazine in 2019.
—Michael Agnew, Star Tribune, 9 Sep. 2020
Adjective
An international nonprofit filed a federal civil rights complaint Monday on behalf of Jewish, Israeli and Zionist students and stakeholders at UC Davis alleging the university turned a blind eye and failed to protect them from antisemitic harassment.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
There are plenty of blind scientists: chemists, physicists, astrophysicists.
—USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
For a franchise that will have missed the playoffs for eight straight seasons, any semblance of hope that Curry, maybe, one day, could possibly don a Hornets jersey is blind faith.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024
Aura includes visual changes, such as flickering lights, zigzag lines, and blind spots.7
Some people who experience aura also can have hearing disturbances, such as tinnitus (ringing in your ears), music, or noises.
—Yuliya Klochan, Health, 30 Mar. 2024
Neuralink has also suggested using implants to stimulate brain regions to enable blind patients to see with the aid of cameras — and Musk claims that the tech can already restore sight in monkeys.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
Being blind or Deaf can make navigating any illness harder to handle.
—Andrew Pulrang, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The turning point was when an elderly traditional healer failed in treating his own cataracts and was becoming blind.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024
The life: Avon High mascot Big O goes nationwide
In February, Dana Hunsinger Benbow and Mykal McEldowney told the story of Owen Carr — Avon High School's humble, unassuming mascot who is blind in one eye and nearly deaf in the opposite ear.
—Joe Mutascio, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Mar. 2024
Verb
In Douglas Sirk’s 1954 remake of Magnificent Obsession, Rush portrayed the adorable sister of Oscar nominee Jane Wyman, whose character is blinded in an accident caused by a reckless playboy (Rock Hudson).
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Mar. 2024
The Sacramento police officer who shot a pepper ball that blinded a woman in one eye in 2020 — resulting in a $3 million city settlement — has been exonerated.
—Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024
Perhaps their plan involved temporarily blinding a guard in the store with a blast from a fire extinguisher, because that’s what happened.
—Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024
Green dye was thrown in his face after a rally, nearly blinding him in one eye; he was banned from running for president in 2018; his brother was imprisoned as a hostage; and he was repeatedly jailed.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024
However, despite the policy’s aim to limit distractions, the litany of security officials constantly blinding entire sections with military grade flash lights all in an effort to shun phone users is far more distracting than any smartphone could ever be.
—Quentin Singer, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Still, that desire cannot blind us to the reality of the situation on the ground.
—Thomas Fuller, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024
But Expats gently interrogates how private anguish can be blinding.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2024
The glare of the SUV’s headlights temporarily blinded the three teenagers.
—Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Noun
His setup included a makeshift blind made of cloth and palmetto fronds, along with two decoys off to his left that were mostly obscured by the tall grass.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 13 Mar. 2024
Luckily, a few easy tips can make cleaning window blinds quick and painless.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2024
While there’s no need to hide 984 feet above Central Park, MTX’s artistic director Matthieu Bassée created blinds that played with transparency, color, and composition for blinds that look more like a work of art.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2024
He’s reported live from the kitchen, with a window covered by blinds in the background.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
Some even hunt scaup from stationary (permanent) box-style blinds along the East Coast, most notably in Chesapeake Bay.
—M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 8 Feb. 2024
To keep your home cooler through design tweaks, consider external shutters (which are more effective than curtains or blinds) and climbing plants to add shading.
—Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2024
The lavish primary suite provides two walk-in closets with custom wardrobe systems, vaulted ceilings, Stark carpet, grasscloth wallpaper, custom electric blinds and sliding glass doors that open to the deck.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 22 Feb. 2024
Birders from around the world often follow the cranes to Nebraska, waiting patiently at dawn and dusk in viewing blinds located along the river.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024
Adverb
Docking can be called for in recipes where par- or blind-baking the crust is required.
—Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 3 June 2022
Forced to leave the police force after turning blind, Johnson Chong See-tun takes on cold cases the police can't solve.
—Men's Health, 29 Mar. 2022
The city told the newspaper that the recipients of the initial email were supposed to be blind-copied, meaning their names and emails would have been hidden from other recipients.
—Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 14 Feb. 2022
The lab in the bowels of the winery, where the team is blind-tasting vial after vial of intricate blends?
—Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 15 Nov. 2021
This kind of attitude is how our public-health establishment wound up blind-sided by an actual epidemic.
—WSJ, 6 Oct. 2021
The going out to watch stars, stumbling blind through the difficult door.
—Anthony Lan, The New Yorker, 5 July 2021
This year, the competition took place in Estes park, Colorado, where a professional tasting panel made of whisky, beer, and wine experts blind tasted each whisky using a 100-point scale system.
—Emily Price, Forbes, 15 June 2021
This beer was selected Best of Show at a blind-tasting event of over 40 Oktoberfest beers hosted by the Growler magazine in 2019.
—Michael Agnew, Star Tribune, 9 Sep. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blind.' 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
Adjective
Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German blint blind, Old English blandan to mix — more at blend
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
1633, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Adverb
1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of blind was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing blind
Dictionary Entries Near blind
Cite this Entry
“Blind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blind. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
blind
1 of 4 adjective1
a
b
: having less than ⅒ normal vision in the best eye even with the aid of glasses
2
: lacking in judgment or understanding
3
: made or done without the aid of sight or knowledge that could provide guidance or cause bias
a blind taste test
4
a
: having only one opening or outlet
a blind street
b
: having no opening
a blind wall
blind
2 of 4 verb1
: to make blind
2
: to make blind for a short time : dazzle
blinded by the lights
3
: to take judgment or understanding away from
blinded by love
blind
3 of 4 noun1
: a device (as a window shade) to prevent sight or keep out light
2
: a hiding place for hunters or wildlife observers
blind
4 of 4 adverb1
: without seeing outside of an airplane
fly blind
2
: without knowledge of facts that could guide or cause bias
Medical Definition
blind
1 of 2 adjective1
a
: lacking or deficient in sight
especially
: having less than ¹/₁₀ of normal vision in the more efficient eye when refractive defects are fully corrected by lenses
b
: of or relating to sightless persons
blind care
2
a
: designed to prevent participants from having information that could cause bias
a blind taste test
a blind clinical trial
see double-blind, single-blind
b
: having no knowledge of information that may cause bias during the course of an experiment or test
researchers blind to whether the investigational drug is administered
3
: having but one opening or outlet
the cecum is a blind pouch
blind
2 of 2 transitive verb1
: to make (a person or animal) permanently blind
2
: to intentionally prevent (someone, such as a researcher or study participant) from seeing certain objects or knowing certain facts that could bias, influence, or interfere with the outcome or results of a research study, clinical trial, etc.
More from Merriam-Webster on blind
Nglish: Translation of blind for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of blind for Arabic Speakers
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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