blush

noun \ ˈbləsh \

Updated on: 15 May 2018

Definition of blush

1 : outward appearance : view

at first blush

2 : a reddening of the face especially from shame, modesty, or confusion

3 : a red or rosy tint

4 : a cosmetic applied to the face to give a usually pink color or to accent the cheekbones

—

blushful

play \-fəl\ adjective

See blush defined for English-language learners

Examples of blush in a Sentence

The comment brought a blush to her cheeks.
The fruit is yellow, with a blush of pink.
She put on a little lipstick and blush.

Recent Examples of blush from the Web

Although, the Senegalese had his blushes spared as the ball rebounded back to him, gleefully tucking it away at the second time of asking.

— SI.com, "World Cup Countdown: 6 Weeks to Go - 11 of the Best Celebrations in FIFA World Cup History," 9 May 2018
For makeup, Nars Bahama lip pencil or my blush in Petale are my signatures.

— ying chu, Glamour, "Makeup Artist Gucci Westman's New Line Is Paradise for Finicky Skin," 27 Apr. 2018
As the happy, purposeful crowd pushes into school, the bully is left to gape and blush, alone and ostracized.

— meghan cox gurdon, WSJ, "Children’s Books: Safety and Comfort in Numbers," 27 Apr. 2018
The color palette includes traditional bridal white and black, in addition to blush, poppy, light gray and blue.

— lisa lockwood | wwd, latimes.com, "Sarah Jessica Parker collaborates with Gilt on bridal line," 24 Apr. 2018
Clarkson, who went 0-for-4 in the second half, was described the other day as falling off a cliff, with accompanying YouTube footage of Wile E. Coyote, the plunging predator of many cartoons, in an acerbic fellow's recent column (blush).

— bill livingston, cleveland.com, "Cavaliers-Pacers: LeBron James quarterbacks win to even series -- Bill Livingston (photos)," 22 Apr. 2018
If things went awry, bankers would frequently extend repayment periods indefinitely, if only to preserve their own blushes.

— The Economist, "The humbling of India’s tycoons," 19 Apr. 2018
At first blush, Cohen looks like a pretty rich man.

— shahien nasiripour, Bloomberg.com, "Will Cohen Flip? Tenuous Finances May Provide Crucial Clues," 27 Apr. 2018
At first blush, real estate technology doesn’t seem to fit Son’s stated thesis of a future dominated by artificial intelligence, robots, and big data.

— erin griffith, WIRED, "SoftBank's Futuristic Vision Fund Takes on the Real (Estate) World," 16 Apr. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of blush

Middle English, probably from blusshen

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

blush Synonyms

blush

verb

Definition of blush

intransitive verb

1 : to become red in the face especially from shame, modesty, or confusion

2 : to feel shame or embarrassment

3 : to have a rosy or fresh color : bloom

See blush defined for English-language learners

See blush defined for kids

Examples of blush in a Sentence

He blushed at the compliment.
I blush to admit it, but you've caught me in an error.

Recent Examples of blush from the Web

The second season—released today on Netflix under the tag Volume 2—rattles with welcome confrontation, proudly bearing the face of disquiet in its opening blushes.

— jason parham, WIRED, "Dear White People, The Rachel Divide, and the Hard Questions of Identity," 4 May 2018
This simple ceramic planter — available in bright white or blush pink — looks like your typical vase.

— candace braun davison, House Beautiful, "If You Can't Keep Plants Alive, You Need This Vase," 26 Apr. 2018
There could've been more than blushes to save in the 79th minute, when Stuani latched onto a lax pass from Nacho at the back, but the forward couldn't get past Navas to collect a hat-trick of his own.

— SI.com, "Real Madrid 6-3 Girona: Ronaldo Scores Four as Madrid Battle Past a Hardened Girona in Goal-fest," 18 Mar. 2018
To speak with her colleagues is to blush on her behalf.

— willa paskin, New York Times, "Laurie Metcalf Was Hiding in Plain Sight," 21 Feb. 2018
Since they're already naturally blushed, no painting is necessary—just trim them to an even height and hot-glue them together.

— jamie wiebe, House Beautiful, "14 Simple Ways To Make Your Home More Awesome," 4 Dec. 2014
The informal names given to these plants speak to our fascination with their otherworldly colors and shapes: baby toes, living stones, crown of thorns, blue elf, blushing beauty.

— patrick sisson, Curbed, "Why cactuses and succulents are the perfect plants for this cultural moment," 4 Apr. 2018
This grabbable palette combines Benefit’s iconic blushes and bronzers, like Dandelion and Hoola.

— lauren swanson, Allure, "Exclusive: Sephora Is Launching These Brand-New Products for 30 Days Only," 7 Mar. 2018
Luckily for Spurs, Gonzalo Higuaín missed the chance to bag a hat-trick, and Aurier was spared further blushes for his woeful tackling attempt.

— SI.com, "Football Pundit Rio Ferdinand Tears Into Spurs Defender After Disastrous Champions League Outing," 15 Feb. 2018

Origin and Etymology of blush

Middle English blusshen, from Old English blyscan to redden; akin to Old English blȳsa flame, Old High German bluhhen to burn brightly

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

blush Synonyms

Synonyms

bloom, color, crimson, flush, glow, redden;

Related Words

incarnadine, rouge, ruddle;

abash, chagrin, discomfit, disconcert, embarrass, faze, humiliate, mortify;

Phrases

turn color;

BLUSH Defined for English Language Learners

blush

noun

Definition of blush for English Language Learners

: the red color that spreads over your face when you are ashamed, embarrassed, confused, etc.
: a slight red or pink color
: a cream or powder that some people put on their cheeks to make their cheeks pink or reddish

blush

verb

Definition of blush for English Language Learners

: to become red in your face because you are ashamed, embarrassed, confused, etc.
: to be embarrassed

BLUSH Defined for Kids

blush

verb \ ˈbləsh \

Definition of blush for Students

blushed; blushing

1 : to become red in the face from shame, confusion, or embarrassment

2 : to feel ashamed or embarrassed

… the explanation is one that I blush to have to offer you.
—Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped

blush

noun

Definition of blush for Students

plural blushes

1 : a reddening of the face from shame, confusion, or embarrassment

2 : a rosy color

Medical Dictionary

blush

intransitive verb \ ˈbləsh \

medical Definition of blush

: to become red in the face especially from shame, modesty, or confusion

—

blush

noun

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blush

Definition of blush

Examples of blush in a Sentence

Recent Examples of blush from the Web

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BLUSH Defined for English Language Learners

blush

Definition of blush for English Language Learners

blush

Definition of blush for English Language Learners

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blush

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blush

Definition of blush for Students

Medical Dictionary

blush

medical Definition of blush

blush

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