blind

[ blahynd ]

adjective

, blind·er, blind·est.

1. unable to see; having severely impaired or absolutely no sense of sight; sightless:

   a blind man.

   Antonyms: seeing

2. unwilling or unable to perceive or understand: He was blind to all arguments.

   They were blind to their children's faults.

   He was blind to all arguments.

   Antonyms: receptive

3. not characterized or determined by reason or control: blind chance.

   blind tenacity;

   blind chance.

4. not having or based on reason or intelligence; absolute and unquestioning:

   She had blind faith in his fidelity.

   Synonyms: unreasoning, thoughtless, rash, uncritical, irrational

   Antonyms: rational

5. lacking all consciousness or awareness:

   a blind stupor.

6. drunk ( def 1 ).
7. hard to see or understand:

   blind reasoning.

8. hidden from immediate view, especially from oncoming motorists:

   a blind corner.

9. of concealed or undisclosed identity; sponsored anonymously:

   a blind ad signed only with a box number.

10. having no outlets; closed at one end: a blind mountain pass.

    a blind passage;

    a blind mountain pass.

11. Architecture. (of an archway, arcade, etc.) having no windows, passageways, or the like.
12. dense enough to form a screen:

    a blind hedge of privet.

13. done without seeing; by instruments alone:

    blind flying.

14. made without some prior knowledge: a blind lead in a card game.

    a blind purchase;

    a blind lead in a card game.

15. of or relating to an experimental design that prevents investigators or subjects from knowing the hypotheses or conditions being tested.
16. of, relating to, or for blind persons.
17. Bookbinding. (of a design, title, or the like) impressed into the cover or spine of a book by a die without ink or foil.
18. Cooking. (of pastry shells) baked or fried without the filling.
19. (of a rivet or other fastener) made so that the end inserted, though inaccessible, can be headed or spread.

verb (used with object)

1. to make sightless permanently, temporarily, or momentarily, as by injuring, dazzling, bandaging the eyes, etc.:

   The explosion blinded him.

   We were blinded by the bright lights.

2. to make obscure or dark:

   The room was blinded by heavy curtains.

3. to deprive of discernment, reason, or judgment:

   a resentment that blinds his good sense.

4. to outshine; eclipse:

   a radiance that doth blind the sun.

noun

1. something that obstructs vision, as a blinker for a horse.
2. a window covering having horizontal or vertical slats that can be drawn out of the way, often with the angle of the slats adjustable to admit varying amounts of light.
3. venetian blind ( def ).
4. Chiefly Midland U.S. and British. window shade.
5. a lightly built structure of brush or other growths, especially one in which hunters conceal themselves:

   a duck blind.

   Synonyms: ambush

6. an activity, organization, or the like for concealing or masking action or purpose; subterfuge:

   The store was just a blind for their gambling operation.

7. a decoy.
8. Slang. a bout of excessive drinking; drunken spree.
9. Poker. a compulsory bet made without prior knowledge of one's hand.
10. Usually the blind. (used with a plural verb) persons who lack the sense of sight:

    The blind are said to have an acute sense of hearing.

adverb

1. into a stupor; to the degree at which consciousness is lost:

   He drank himself blind.

2. without the ability to see clearly; lacking visibility; blindly:

   They were driving blind through the snowstorm.

3. without guidance or forethought:

   They were working blind and couldn't anticipate the effects of their actions.

4. to an extreme or absolute degree; completely:

   The confidence men cheated her blind.

blind

/ blaɪnd /

adjective

1. 1. unable to see; sightless
   2. ( as collective noun ; preceded by the )

      the blind

2. usually foll by to unable or unwilling to understand or discern
3. not based on evidence or determined by reason

   blind hatred

4. acting or performed without control or preparation
5. done without being able to see, relying on instruments for information
6. hidden from sight

   a blind corner

   a blind stitch

7. closed at one end

   a blind alley

8. completely lacking awareness or consciousness

   a blind stupor

9. informal.
   very drunk
10. having no openings or outlets

    a blind wall

11. without having been seen beforehand

    a blind purchase

12. (of cultivated plants) having failed to produce flowers or fruits
13. (intensifier)

    not a blind bit of notice

14. turn a blind eye
    to disregard deliberately or pretend not to notice (something, esp an action of which one disapproves)

adverb

1. without being able to see ahead or using only instruments

   flying blind

   to drive blind

2. without adequate knowledge or information; carelessly

   to buy a house blind

3. (intensifier) (in the phrase blind drunk )
4. bake blind
   to bake (the empty crust of a pie, pastry, etc) by half filling with dried peas, crusts of bread, etc, to keep it in shape

verb

1. to deprive of sight permanently or temporarily
2. to deprive of good sense, reason, or judgment
3. to darken; conceal
4. foll by with to overwhelm by showing detailed knowledge

   to blind somebody with science

5. slang.
   intr to drive very fast
6. slang.
   intr to curse (esp in the phrase effing and blinding )

noun

1. modifier for or intended to help blind and partially sighted people

   a blind school

2. a shade for a window, usually on a roller
3. any obstruction or hindrance to sight, light, or air
4. a person, action, or thing that serves to deceive or conceal the truth
5. a person who acts on behalf of someone who does not wish his identity or actions to be known
6. old-fashioned.
   Also calledblinder a drunken orgy; binge
7. poker a stake put up by a player before he examines his cards
8. hunting a screen of brush or undergrowth, in which hunters hide to shoot their quarry Brit namehide
9. military a round or demolition charge that fails to explode

Usage

It is preferable to avoid using phrases such as the blind . Instead you should talk about blind and partially sighted people

Derived Forms

• ˈblindly, adverb
• ˈblindness, noun

Other Words From

• blinding·ly adverb
• blindness noun
• half-blind adjective
• half-blindly adverb
• self-blinded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of blind¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English adjective cognate with Gothic blinds, Old Norse blindr, German, Dutch blind (from Germanic blindaz, perhaps akin to blend; original sense uncertain, perhaps “to make cloudy”); verb derivative of the adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of blind¹

Old English blind ; related to Old Norse blindr , Old High German blint ; Lettish blendu to see dimly; see blunder

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. fly blind. fly ²( def 34 ).

More idioms and phrases containing blind

• fly blind
• rob someone blind
• turn a blind eye

Synonym Study

Blind, stone-blind, purblind mean unable to see. Blind means unable to see with the physical eyes. Stone-blind emphasizes complete blindness. Purblind refers to weakened vision, literally or figuratively. See curtain.

Example Sentences

The film’s version of “Dancing Through Life” is so backlit that it’s hard to make out characters beyond a blinding white glare, an offense second only to the way Elphaba is filmed in low light.

From Salon

However Israel accuses Unifil of having turned a blind eye to the growth of Hezbollah, which now outpowers the official Lebanese army.

From BBC

It happened as the Labour Peer, who is blind, slipped while getting on to a District Line train with his guide dog, last month.

From BBC

"What's important is that the immigrants were blind to the fact that the food reward had changed," said Chimento, the study's lead author.

From Science Daily

He pressed pause and then sang the song’s first verse to me, emphasizing how Clark bends the word “blind.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• curtain
• screen

More About Blind

What does blind mean?

Blind is most commonly used to describe a person who is unable to see. It can describe someone who has severe vision impairment or no vision at all. 

Some people who cannot see may prefer to be described or referred to with terms other than blind. As with all forms of disabilities, it is always best to use the language that the person prefers. 

The term the blind is sometimes used to collectively refer to people who are blind, such as in the names of organizations like the National Federation of the Blind. However, some people object to such collective uses, which are sometimes thought to prevent people from being viewed as individuals (in contrast with person-first language, such as people who are blind). 

Blind is sometimes used in figurative ways, especially as an adjective meaning unable or unwilling to accept or perceive something, as in Don’t be blind to the risks. It is also sometimes used to describe something that is not based on logic, as in blind faith. Such figurative uses can be considered a form of ableism due to likening negative characteristics to a physical disability. 

As a verb, blind can be used in a literal way meaning to temporarily or permanently take away someone’s ability to see, as in I was blinded by the sun or The accident blinded him. 

As a noun, blind can refer to a number of objects that obstruct vision or light in some way, most commonly window coverings that can be closed to darken a room (typically referred to with the plural form blinds). 

Example: As a blind person, I want people to remember that just because I can’t see doesn’t mean I’m incapable of living a full life.

Where does blind come from?

The first records of the word blind come from before 1000. It’s an Old English word that’s related to the Old Norse blindr and the Lettish blendu, meaning “to see dimly.” 

Blind is a very common word that’s used in a number of terms and idioms, such as blindside, blind spot, and blind as a bat, among many others. Some of these expressions, such as blind leading the blind, can be considered ableist for associating a lack of awareness or capability with people who have a visual disability.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to blind?

• blindly (adverb)
• blindness (noun)

What are some synonyms for blind?

• sightless
• visually impaired

What are some words that share a root or word element with blind? 

• blindside
• blind spot

What are some words that often get used in discussing blind?

• vision
• sight
• see
• disability
• Braille

How is blind used in real life?

Some people who cannot see prefer to be described in other ways, but blind is the most widely used term.

Listening to the latest @MillennialShow and just want to add that the increased @Uber and @Lyft prices will have a huge impact on people with disabilities or those who can't drive. As a blind person I'll be back to a place where I'm spending 2 hours on a bus to go 4 miles.

— Karen Anderson (@kea_anderson) June 17, 2021

As of today (23rd of June), all Dutch government corporations must comply with accessibility requirements by law. This would provide online access to resources from the government for people who are Blind, Visually impaired, or deaf. A big step in making the world more accessible

— Hable One (@iamhable) June 23, 2021

One of my favorite apps on my phone is @BeMyEyes which connects people who are blind or who have low vision with people who are sighted for visual assistance – like help with reading a label or identifying something.

The calls are usually brief but they seem very helpful to…

— Oni Blackstock, MD, MHS (@oni_blackstock) June 18, 2021