blink
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to close and reopen the eyes, especially involuntarily.
Every time I blink, it makes the cut on my eyelid hurt.
-
to look with half-shut eyes or rapidly closing and opening eyes.
I blinked at the harsh morning light.
-
to be startled, surprised, or dismayed (usually followed byat ).
She blinked at his sudden fury.
-
to look evasively or with indifference; ignore (often followed byat ).
to blink at another's eccentricities.
-
to shine unsteadily, dimly, or intermittently; twinkle; flicker.
The light on the buoy blinked in the distance.
-
to yield or back down from a confrontation.
All eyes are on the two nations' standoff, waiting to see who blinks.
verb (used with object)
-
to close and reopen (the eye or eyes), usually rapidly, repeatedly, or involuntarily;
She blinked her eyes in an effort to wake up.
-
to cause (something) to twinkle or shine intermittently.
We blinked the flashlight frantically, but there was no response.
-
Rare. to ignore deliberately; evade; shirk.
Although deaths continue to rise, the authorities have blinked the problem.
noun
-
an act or instance of closing and reopening the eyes, especially repeatedly or involuntarily.
She claimed not to be startled, but her blink betrayed her.
-
the act or condition of flickering, twinkling, or shining intermittently.
The faithful blink of the lighthouse comforted the crew.
-
a gleam; glimmer.
There was not a blink of light anywhere.
-
Chiefly Scot. a glance or glimpse.
-
Meteorology.
idioms
verb
-
to close and immediately reopen (the eyes or an eye), usually involuntarily
-
(intr) to look with the eyes partially closed, as in strong sunlight
-
to shine intermittently, as in signalling, or unsteadily
-
(tr; foll by away, from, etc) to clear the eyes of (dust, tears, etc)
-
to be surprised or amazed
he blinked at the splendour of the ceremony
-
to pretend not to know or see (a fault, injustice, etc)
noun
-
the act or an instance of blinking
-
a glance; glimpse
-
short for iceblink
-
slang not working properly
Usage
What does blink mean? To blink is to open and close the eyes rapidly, usually involuntarily. A blink is the act of blinking.To blink is also to shine unsteadily, as a light that is about to die might.In a figurative sense, to blink means to be startled or dismayed, as in Carter blinked at all the money his business partner spent on traveling.To blink can also mean to ignore or avoid something, as in Society will blink at rude behavior if the person being rude is powerful enough.Example: Blink your eyes when you see the light flash.
Related Words
See wink 1.
Etymology
Origin of blink
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English verb blincken, variant of blenchen, blenken “to quail, shrink back, blench” ( blench 1 ); cognate with Dutch, German blinken
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"It was mentioned in a very small thing, genuinely blink and you'll miss it, which was actually nice," Gracie said.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026
“Coming in as a freshman I was like, ‘Oh, I have so much time,’ and now it has gone by in a blink of an eye,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026
Beijing values anchoring confidence, and the first year of the 15th five-year plan is not the moment to blink, they said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026
And so here we are: The people who made an A.I. so good that it’s the only one the Defense Department uses for its most sensitive tasks will decide whether to blink.
From Slate • Feb. 25, 2026
Quick as a blink, he was looking down on castles.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
