blind

adjective

ˈblīnd 

blinder; blindest

1

a

: lacking or deficient in sight

specifically : having less than ⅒ of normal vision in the more efficient eye when refractive defects are fully corrected by lenses

b

: of, relating to, or designed for persons lacking or deficient in sight

… had to learn … how to read braille, walk with a cane and use blind assistive technology to maneuver the world in the Digital Age.

—Laura Buchanan

2

sometimes offensive; see usage paragraph below

a

: unable or unwilling to discern or judge

blind to their child'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

sometimes offensive; see usage paragraph below : drunk sense 1a

4

a

sometimes offensive; see usage paragraph below : 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

sometimes offensive; see usage paragraph below : 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

a blind seam

7

: having but one opening or outlet

blind sockets

8

: having no opening for light or passage : blank

blind wall

blindly

ˈblīn(d)-lē 

adverb

blindness

ˈblīn(d)-nəs 

noun

plural blindnesses

Usage of Blind

Some disability advocates recommend against the use of the word blind before nouns such as person, woman, man, etc., because it is regarded as defining a person by their condition. Instead, they suggest using language that acknowledges the person before their condition or disability, as in "a person who is blind" or "a person with blindness." Others in the disability community consider phrases such as "a blind person" acceptable or even preferable. Figurative uses of blind, whether alone or as part of a longer word, compound, or idiom, are also sometimes considered offensive when they associate negative characteristics (such as lack of knowledge or understanding) with blindness. Generally speaking, the more negative such a use is, the more likely it is to offend.

Synonyms of blind

• blinded
• sightless

Examples of blind in a Sentence

our old blind cat kept walking into walls and furniture

you'd have to be really blind to think that was a good idea

Recent Examples on the Web

The outposts are built without permission from Israeli authorities, who sometimes dismantle them but often turn a blind eye or even legalize them retroactively. —Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026

If your curtains aren't long enough to touch the floor, Barr suggests a roman blind. —Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 10 June 2026

For people with disabilities, AI is providing higher quality and faster transcription for the deaf, image descriptions for the blind, and speech generation for those unable to communicate verbally. —Jessica Melugin, Mercury News, 10 June 2026

Upper trims like the EX ($30,590) come with a wireless phone charger, heated side view mirrors, and blind-spot detection technology. —Charles Singh, USA Today, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English blind, blend, going back to Old English blind, going back to Germanic *blinda- (whence also Old Frisian & Old Saxon blind "blind, sightless," Old High German blint, Old Icelandic blindr, Gothic blinds), adjective derivative from the dialectal Indo-European verbal base *b^hlend^h- "become murky or cloudy, see poorly" — more at blend entry 1

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing blind

• blind alley
• blind bag
• blind box
• blind carbon copy
• blind date
• blind drunk
• blind gut
• blind pig
• blind side
• blind spot
• blind tiger
• blind trust
• color-blind
• double-blind
• fly blind
• go blind
• gravel-blind
• hoodman-blind
• love is blind
• not a blind bit
• rob blind
• Roman blind
• sand-blind
• single-blind
• stone-blind
• struck deaf/blind
• swear blind
• turn a blind eye
• venetian blind

Rhymes for blind

• bind
• dined
• find
• fined
• grind
• hind
• kind
• lined
• mind
• mined
• pined
• rind

Kids Definition

blind

1 of 4 adjective

ˈblīnd 

1

a

: sightless

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

blindly

ˈblīn-(d)lē 

adverb

blindness

ˈblīn(d)-nəs 

noun

blind

2 of 4 verb

1

: 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 noun

1

: 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 adverb

1

: 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 adjective

ˈblīnd 

blinder; blindest

1

a

: lacking or deficient in sight

specifically : having less than ¹/₁₀ of normal vision in the more efficient eye when refractive defects are fully corrected by lenses

b

: of, relating to, or designed for persons lacking or deficient in sight

blind care

Note: Some disability advocates recommend against the use of the word blind before nouns such as person, woman, man, etc., which is sometimes considered offensive because it is regarded as defining a person by their condition. Instead, they suggest using language that acknowledges the person before their condition or disability, as in "a person who is blind" or "a person with blindness." Others in the disability community consider phrases such as "a blind person" acceptable.

2

a

sometimes offensive : 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

sometimes offensive : 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

Note: Figurative uses of blind, whether alone or as part of a longer word, compound, or idiom, are also sometimes considered offensive when they associate negative characteristics (such as lack of knowledge or understanding) with blindness. Generally speaking, the more negative such a use is, the more likely it is to offend.

3

: having but one opening or outlet

the cecum is a blind pouch

blindly

ˈblīn-(d)lē 

adverb

blindness

ˈblīn(d)-nəs 

noun

blind

2 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to make (a person or animal) permanently blind

2

sometimes offensive : 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.