blink

[ blingk ]

verb (used without object)

1. to close and reopen the eyes, especially involuntarily:

   Every time I blink, it makes the cut on my eyelid hurt.

2. to look with half-shut eyes or rapidly closing and opening eyes:

   I blinked at the harsh morning light.

3. to be startled, surprised, or dismayed (usually followed by at ):

   She blinked at his sudden fury.

4. to look evasively or with indifference; ignore (often followed by at ):

   to blink at another's eccentricities.

5. to shine unsteadily, dimly, or intermittently; twinkle; flicker:

   The light on the buoy blinked in the distance.

6. 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)

1. to close and reopen (the eye or eyes), usually rapidly, repeatedly, or involuntarily;

   She blinked her eyes in an effort to wake up.

2. to cause (something) to twinkle or shine intermittently:

   We blinked the flashlight frantically, but there was no response.

3. Rare. to ignore deliberately; evade; shirk:

   Although deaths continue to rise, the authorities have blinked the problem.

   Synonyms: condone, avoid, disregard, overlook

noun

1. 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.

2. the act or condition of flickering, twinkling, or shining intermittently:

   The faithful blink of the lighthouse comforted the crew.

   Synonyms: flutter, twinkle, flicker, wink

3. a gleam; glimmer:

   There was not a blink of light anywhere.

4. Chiefly Scot. a glance or glimpse.
5. Meteorology.
   1. iceblink.
   2. snowblink.

blink

/ blɪŋk /

verb

1. to close and immediately reopen (the eyes or an eye), usually involuntarily
2. intr to look with the eyes partially closed, as in strong sunlight
3. to shine intermittently, as in signalling, or unsteadily
4. tr; foll by away, from, etc to clear the eyes of (dust, tears, etc)
5. whentr, usually foll by at to be surprised or amazed

   he blinked at the splendour of the ceremony

6. whenintr, foll by at to pretend not to know or see (a fault, injustice, etc)

noun

1. the act or an instance of blinking
2. a glance; glimpse
3. short for iceblink
4. on the blink slang.
   not working properly

Word History and Origins

Origin of blink¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of blink¹

C14: variant of blench ¹; related to Middle Dutch blinken to glitter, Danish blinke to wink, Swedish blinka

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on the blink, not in proper working order; in need of repair:

   The washing machine is on the blink again.

More idioms and phrases containing blink

see on the blink .

Synonym Study

See wink ¹.

Example Sentences

The action was so fast and varied, you could blink and miss a world record.

From Los Angeles Times

The unsavoury moment was over in a blink of an eye and will now be viewed and shared endlessly as the final viral moment before tomorrow's fight.

From BBC

"He was eating a packet of Walkers cheese and onion crisps and he wasn't blinking," she said.

From BBC

Amid the chaos of children screaming, buzzers ringing and neon lights blinking, we felt a level of certainty — a kind of quiet calm that I haven’t felt before.

From Los Angeles Times

In his autobiography, he talks about blinking 100 times a minute and chewing his knuckles.

From BBC

Related Words

• flash
• flicker
• flutter
• sparkle
• squint

More About Blink

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.

Where does blink come from?

The first records of the term blink come from the mid-1200s. It comes from the Middle English blenken, meaning “to quail, shrink back, or flinch.”

Humans unconsciously blink their eyes a lot without realizing—up to 20 times a minute! Perhaps that frequency is why we have so many senses of the word blink. A blink can also be a gleam of light, as in The house was almost completely dark, with just a blink of light coming from the cellar. Blinkers can be flashing lights, such as turn signals in a car, or flaps on a bridle that prevent a horse from seeing sideways, effectively blinkering its vision. The phrase on the blink means “not working properly,” such as when you turn your computer on and nothing happens. And if anyone tells you not to blink or you’ll miss it, they mean that something is going to happen very quickly.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to blink?

• blinker (noun)
• blinky (adjective)

What are some synonyms for blink?

• flash
• flicker
• forget
• sparkle
• squint

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

• blinkered
• on the blink

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

• eye
• flicker
• sight

How is blink used in real life?

Blink is commonly used to refer to involuntarily closing your eyes.

Why do I forget to blink when I draw.

— h (@halsey) July 16, 2018

The West Wing premiered 19 years ago today. Seems like both an eternity and a blink of an eye.

— Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) September 22, 2018

I blink in photos too much

— Matthew Espinosa (@MatthewEspinosa) July 13, 2014

 

Try using blink!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for blink?

A. flash
B. flicker
C. squint
D. attend