blind

1 of 4

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.

blind

2 of 4

verb

blinded; blinding; blinds

transitive verb

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

… the popular poaching method that uses bright lights to blind and immobilize deer …

—James Howard Kunstler

c

sometimes offensive : to cause (someone) to be unable to think clearly or act reasonably

I was blinded by love.

2

a

: to withhold light from

… such darkness blinds the sky, / That the black night receives a deeper dye.

—John Dryden

b

: hide, conceal

Alone, she sets out … on the ninety mile drive to Winnipegosis; but the snow has blinded the trail …

—The Overland Monthly (San Francisco, California)

c

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.

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

blind

3 of 4

noun

plural blinds

1

: something to hinder sight or keep out light: such as

a

: a window shutter

b

: a roller window shade

c

: venetian blind

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

4

the blind often offensive : people who are lacking or deficient in sight

Note: This use is often considered offensive. Phrases such as "people who are blind" or "people with blindness" are often preferred. Some organizations use the blind in their names, such as the National Federation of the Blind. Use of the blind in such contexts is not usually regarded as offensive.

see also the usage paragraph at blind entry 1

blind

4 of 4

adverb

1

sometimes offensive : 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

sometimes offensive

—used as an intensive

was robbed blind

Synonyms of blind

Adjective

• blinded
• sightless

Verb

• dazzle
• stun
• daze

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 Web

Adjective

Ana Moss, though legally blind, does things many folks with vision can’t. —Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2025

There are four or five gunners, a big spread, maybe a boat, a dog, and a nice blind. —The Editors, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2025

Verb

The system can also blind enemy optics and reconnaissance systems, crippling adversary surveillance before detection. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025

Mia — who’s blinded by the allure of a newborn that’s long eluded her and her husband — doesn’t heed Riley’s warning about the nature of the child, and in the course of their melee, Riley accidentally crashes through the second-story window of their family home. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2025

Noun

Southern windows work for varieties that prefer full sun, and can work for part-sun-loving plants with the addition of sheer curtains or blinds to temper the light. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2025

Hankison was convicted of violating Taylor’s civil rights the night she was killed by firing a total of 10 shots into her apartment through a sliding glass door and window that were covered by blinds. —Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 28 Oct. 2025

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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

Verb

Middle English blinden, derivative of blind blind entry 1, replacing blenden "to blind," going back to Old English blendan — more at blende

Note: Note that Old English had a weak verb blindian that aside from one dubious case occurs only with prefixes: ablindian "to become blind," forblindian "to make blind" (attested once), ofblindian "to make blind."

Noun

derivative of blind entry 1 or blind entry 2

Adverb

derivative of blind entry 1

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 1b

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Adverb

1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing blind

• blind alley
• 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
• not a blind bit
• rob 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.