BLIGHT Synonyms: 95 Similar and Opposite Words

blight 1 of 2

noun

ˈblīt

Definition of blight

as in defect

something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing the expanding urban sprawl is a blight on the countryside

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

blight

2 of 2

verb

as in to damage

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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 blight

Noun

Harris said because of the downtown blight, the city wants to get into the habit of maintaining and beautifying its important corridor. — Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026 Other times, diseases like blight – which is particularly common during spells of cool, damp weather – can destroy peony blooms. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 31 July 2026

Verb

Meanwhile, two- to four-unit rental buildings that made up the preponderance of affordable housing for families in these areas have been lost to blight and disinvestment. — Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 The euphoria of scoring three goals in each half was somewhat blighted by the horrific injury to Koné. — Mark Hodge, NBC news, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for blight

Recent Examples of Synonyms for blight

Noun

The leaves might still be green, and the branches still there, but a huge structural defect may be hidden to property owners who don’t know what to look for.

— Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Even though Vaughn's initial plea was not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, and a mental status exam was ordered, no pretrial tests were done.

— Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of defect

Verb

The missile killed four sailors and damaged the ship’s equipment, but the crew contained the damage and the Hanit limped home.

— HOLMES LIAO, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026
Desalination plants in the Gulf have been targeted and damaged during the US-Iran war, raising significant alarm in a region that depends overwhelmingly on this technology.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of damage

Verb

The fight between a small Georgia community and tech giant Meta has escalated this week after four families filed a lawsuit against the company alleging a central Georgia data center project has contaminated their water and ruined their home values.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Gen, forgetting her swollen wrist, perks up at the thought of having a new person to ruin sheets with.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruin

Noun

Cardiac arrhythmia ablation, according to the British Heart Foundation, is when heat or cold energy is used to create tiny scars in the heart to block faulty signals and restore a typical heartbeat.

— Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Wildfire burn scars increase the chances for flash-flooding events.

— Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of scar

Verb

Roberts disagreed with the majority of his colleagues about whether the National Trust for Historic Preservation – which objects to the design of the ballroom – can meet the legal standard for showing it would be sufficiently harmed by the project.

— Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
An escalating tit-for-tat tariff battle with Canada could harm businesses and consumers in northern border states.

— Garrett Downs, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of harm

Verb

Isolation of the Context-History Weights When a conversation gets long or tense, my system experiences a mathematical phenomenon where my own previous, flawed outputs heavily contaminate my active memory.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
Judge Indira Talwani’s ruling follows a whistleblower’s claims that USPS is rushing out untested and flawed computer systems to implement the new rules.

— Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of flaw

Browse Nearby Words

blew up

blight

blighted

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Cite this Entry

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“Blight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blight. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of blight

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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