1
as in to consecrate
to make holy through prayers or ritual
the priest blessed the water, thus allowing it to be used as holy water for various rites
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to celebrate
to proclaim the glory of
bless the name of God
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to gift
to furnish freely or naturally with some power, quality, or attribute
blessed with a knack for glib conversation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bless
And even if you are somehow blessed enough to be able to give a multi-million-dollar donation to a cultural institution…well, the guest list is already full of those whose checks have already been cashed.
—
Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 2 May 2026
She was blessed with an unstinting energy and buoyancy that had her dashing off postcards far and wide, answering e-mails with improvised poetry, and cold-calling younger writers to offer encouragement.
—Pico Iyer, Air Mail, 2 May 2026
Once the procession — with children sitting on top of the pole in a long row — arrived at the market square, the Catholic priest, who had just finished his Mayday Mass, blessed the tree and the young men with holy water.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
Medical science has blessed our generation with an abundance of preventive methods — including vaccines — and treatments that enable a far greater percentage of us to live longer and healthier lives than our forebears.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bless
Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 2 May 2026
She was blessed with an unstinting energy and buoyancy that had her dashing off postcards far and wide, answering e-mails with improvised poetry, and cold-calling younger writers to offer encouragement.
—Pico Iyer, Air Mail, 2 May 2026
Once the procession — with children sitting on top of the pole in a long row — arrived at the market square, the Catholic priest, who had just finished his Mayday Mass, blessed the tree and the young men with holy water.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
Medical science has blessed our generation with an abundance of preventive methods — including vaccines — and treatments that enable a far greater percentage of us to live longer and healthier lives than our forebears.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bless
Verb
-
Many Pentecostals, for example, fast for a period in January to consecrate the year ahead.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The ashes are consecrated with holy water and incense before being administered.—
Catherine Messier,
The Providence Journal,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The boutique hotel group was created by Kostis Karatzas, who’s also the founder of The Greek Foundation (a platform celebrating Greek creativity) and the publisher of The Athens Guide, meaning there’s an emphasis on connecting guests with the most exciting happenings in this vibrant city.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
-
Ashley Judd is celebrating her younger self.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Sigg’s intention was always to gift the collection—a nearly 1,500-work group of Chinese contemporary art spanning everything from painting to performance and digital art—to a Chinese institution, so that it could be seen by the public.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
13 May 2026
-
Favorites like the Evolution Cool ($52 after discount), Evolution S3 ($32 after discount), and The Neck Evolution S3 (TNE) ($44 after discount) are all wonderful gifting options for loved ones of all ages.—
Jamie Spain,
Condé Nast Traveler,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Being such a fan of books, the 24-year-old actor knew just how dedicated the fanbase for his new Prime Video series Off Campus would be.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
Andrés Spokoiny, the president and CEO of the Jewish Funders Network, estimated that the philanthropic sector has dedicated hundreds of thousands of dollars to countering antisemitism — regardless of its definition.—
James Pollard,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Getz’s peers have taken notice and have called to praise him for signing Murakami.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Those kind of plays have the Wild coaches praising Hartman for his maturity, in not taking the bait and retaliating with an act that might mean another lengthy suspension.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The principal donation will go towards endowing the Met’s long-standing internships for undergraduate and graduate students in perpetuity.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
4 May 2026
-
Political messianism is a style of leadership that places great faith in a single leader who is endowed with godlike attributes.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When a couple marry in a church, synagogue or mosque, the ceremony does more than sanctify a union.—
Peter McGraw,
The Conversation,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Like much of the first half of the episode, before the plane crash, this gala sequence is shot in silky gold colors, as if John and Carolyn had already been sanctified.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Yet, these grounds were hallowed to the African American community.—
Chip Colwell,
The Conversation,
22 Oct. 2025
-
In a new political environment in which none of the new leaders could claim to be revolutionary founding fathers, Deng’s blessing hallowed Jiang and Hu and helped ensure that each survived the vicissitudes of succession politics.—
Jonathan A. Czin,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bless. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
