blight

[ blahyt ]

noun

1. Plant Pathology.
   1. the rapid and extensive discoloration, wilting, and death of plant tissues.
   2. a disease so characterized.
2. any cause of impairment, destruction, ruin, or frustration:

   Extravagance was the blight of the family.

   Synonyms: bane, scourge, plague, curse

3. the state or result of being blighted or deteriorated; dilapidation; decay:

   urban blight.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to wither or decay; blast:

   Frost blighted the crops.

2. to destroy; ruin; frustrate:

   Illness blighted his hopes.

verb (used without object)

1. to suffer blight.

blight

/ blaɪt /

noun

1. any plant disease characterized by withering and shrivelling without rotting See also potato blight
2. any factor, such as bacterial attack or air pollution, that causes the symptoms of blight in plants
3. a person or thing that mars or prevents growth, improvement, or prosperity
4. an ugly urban district
5. the state or condition of being blighted or spoilt

verb

1. to cause or suffer a blight
2. tr to frustrate or disappoint
3. tr to spoil; destroy

blight

/ blīt /

1. Any of numerous plant diseases that cause leaves, stems, fruits, and tissues to wither and die. Rust, mildew, and smut are blights.
2. The bacterium, fungus, or virus that causes such a disease.

Other Words From

• blight·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of blight¹

First recorded in 1605–15; of uncertain origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of blight¹

C17: perhaps related to Old English blǣce rash; compare bleach

Example Sentences

Blight runs through the park and bleeds into surrounding streets, with homeless encampments in every direction.

From Los Angeles Times

According to chairman Mike Crookes, the facility would "blight this area" and the economic impact on tourism could be "profound" and "catastrophic".

From BBC

Many people find gulls’ “wily” behaviors entertaining, Blight adds, and they’re a star of many memes.

From Salon

“I think that when people are confronted with nature in the city people are both fascinated by it and sometimes inconvenienced by it,” says seabird ecologist Louise Blight.

From Salon

Images of the colorful mansion were broadcast on the evening news while neighbors called it a blight that had long been ignored by the city.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• affliction
• canker
• decay
• eyesore
• fungus
• infestation
• mildew
• pest
• scourge