blessingbless‧ing /ˈblesɪŋ/ ●○○ noun 
The dishwasher has been a real blessing!it is a blessing (that) It’s a blessing no one was badly hurt.2[uncountable] someone’s approval or encouragement for a plan, activity, idea etcwith somebody’s blessing They were determined to marry, with or without their parents’ blessing. The Defense Department has given its blessing to the scheme.3a mixed blessing a situation that has both good and bad parts: Having children so early in their marriage was a mixed blessing.4a blessing in disguise something that seems to be bad or unlucky at first, but which you later realize is good or lucky5count your blessings used to tell someone to remember how lucky they are, especially when they are complaining about something6[countable, uncountable] protection and help from God, or words spoken to ask for this: The priest gave the blessing.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Darren and Teresa planned to live together before they got married, with their parents' blessing.
- It allows patients to live a more normal life, which is a blessing.
- Mayor Wharton gave the proposal his blessing.
- The store is a blessing for those on a budget.
- He was counting his blessings having backed the first 3 horses that actually finished the race.
- Hence, the blessing of bread on her feast day.
- Know that every year brings its own peculiar mix of disasters and blessings.
- Many come here to ask blessings for an ill or injured loved one.
- One of the most bizarre things I saw was the lengthy and intricate preparation for the blessing of a new furniture store.
- Or perhaps he was waiting for them to start counting their blessings there and then.
- Poor Jonas' death was a blessing in disguise, though one could wish it had happened differently.
- Until then she had not even known she needed a blessing.
Longman Language Activatorwhen someone approves of something or someone
· Ben needs to have his wife's approval before he'll do anything.win/earn somebody's approval · By doing well at school he hoped to win his parents' approval.nod/smile/watch etc with approval · The children played quietly in the back yard as Frances looked on with approval.
if someone gives their blessing to something, they say that they will allow it to happen and will not try to stop it: give your blessing to something/give something your blessing: · Mayor Wharton gave the proposal his blessing.with somebody's blessing: · Darren and Teresa planned to live together before they got married, with their parents' blessing.
WORD SETSacolyte, nounafterlife, nounagnostic, nounangel, nounanimism, nounanoint, verbapostasy, nounapostate, nounarchangel, nounbelieve, verbbeliever, nounbell-ringer, nounbless, verbblessed, adjectiveblessing, nouncelebrant, nounChristian Science, nouncircumcise, verbcircumcision, nouncommunion, nounconfession, nounconvent, nounconversion, nounconvert, nouncoreligionist, nouncowl, nouncredo, nouncreed, nouncult, noundaemon, nounDecalogue, noundefrock, verbdeism, noundenomination, noundenominational, adjectivedevotee, noundevotion, noundevotional, adjectivedevout, adjectivedivine, adjectivedivinity, noundruid, nounfaith, nounfast day, nounfeast, nounfervour, nounfiesta, nounfollow, verbfrankincense, noungentile, noungod, noungoddess, noungrace, nounhabit, nounhair shirt, nounhallelujah, interjectionhallowed, adjectivehalo, nounheathen, adjectiveheathen, nounheaven, nounheavenly, adjectivehell, nounheresy, nounheretic, nounhermit, nounhermitage, nounheterodox, adjectivehigh priest, nounidol, nounidolatry, nounincarnation, nounincense, nouninfidel, nounintercession, nouninvocation, nouninvoke, verbirreligious, adjective-ism, suffixlayman, nounlaywoman, nounlibation, nounliturgical, adjectiveliturgy, nounmartyr, nounmartyr, verbmeditate, verbmeditation, nounmission, nounmonastery, nounmonastic, adjectivemonk, nounmonotheism, nounMoonie, nounMormon, nounMosaic, adjectivemystery play, nounmystic, nounmystical, adjectivemysticism, nounneophyte, nounnovice, nounnovitiate, nounnuminous, adjectivenun, nounnunnery, nounoblation, nounobservance, nounoffering, nounOlympian, adjectiveordain, verborder, nounorthodox, adjectiveotherworldly, adjectivepagan, adjectivepagan, nounpantheism, nounpantheon, nounParsee, nounpilgrim, nounpilgrimage, nounpious, adjectivepluralism, nounpolytheism, nounpractise, verbpray, verbprayer, nounprayer wheel, nounpreach, verbpreacher, nounpriest, nounpriestess, nounpriesthood, nounpriestly, adjectiveprophet, nounprophetess, nounpurify, verbRasta, nounRastafarian, nounRastaman, nounRE, nounrecant, verbreincarnation, nounreligious, adjectivereligiously, adverbreliquary, nounrepent, verbretreat, nounrevelation, nounrevivalism, nounrite, nounritual, nounsacred, adjectivesacrifice, nounsacrifice, verbsacrificial, adjectivesanctify, verbsanctity, nounsanctuary, nounsanctum, nounsatanism, nounscripture, nounsect, nounsectarian, adjectiveservice, nounshaman, nounShinto, nounshrine, nounsin, nounsin, verbsinful, adjectivesinner, nounsoul, nounspirit, nounspiritual, adjectivespiritualism, nounspirituality, nounSr, sun god, nounsuppliant, nounsupplicant, nounsupplication, nounSupreme Being, nounTao, nounTaoism, nountemple, nountenet, nounthanksgiving, nountheism, nountheo-, prefixtheocracy, nountheologian, nountheological college, nountheology, nountonsure, nountranscendental, adjectivetranscendental meditation, nountransmigration, noununbelief, noununbeliever, nounungodly, adjectiveunholy, adjectiveunorthodox, adjectivevisionary, nounvoodoo, nounvotary, nounworship, verbworship, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY It’s a blessing no one was badly hurt. The Defense Department has given its blessing to the scheme.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
It’s a blessing no one was badly hurt. The Defense Department has given its blessing to the scheme.· In each case the younger son received the greater blessing.· Work is one of our greatest blessings.· It is a great blessing to have Julyan and Lenna Lidstone living and working among us.· This freedom brought great blessing in its train.· That, and the electric kettle, given to me by a good friend, are a great blessing.· This residential healing centre has proved a great blessing to many of my friends.· These meetings were attended with great blessing.
· The disintegration of the Takeshita faction was seen as a mixed blessing for Miyazawa.· Even that has been a mixed blessing.· For voluntary organisations the budget was more of a mixed blessing.· The sheer pace of accumulation was itself a mixed blessing.· Ultraviolet light is a mixed blessing as far as living things are concerned.· Carmakers view this as a mixed blessing.· Significant technological advances in underwater excavation and recovery are proving a mixed blessing in the field of marine archaeology.· Pedagogically the need to be much clearer about what is being taught and why is a mixed blessing.
VERB· I will not ask for your blessing.· The performers lit incense and asked for blessings, though blankets might have been preferable.· He ended this eulogy by asking Leopold's blessing on the marriage.· Starting from my head, she smoothed the linen against my contours, asking for blessings from the protective spirits.· And people are asking for advice and blessings, telling him about the problems they trust him to solve.· Many come here to ask blessings for an ill or injured loved one.
· Or perhaps he was waiting for them to start counting their blessings there and then.· If all this studying is making you a bit queasy, count your blessings.· You can be sure I count my blessings nowadays.· About how much fun it is, count your blessings, all of that.· Rebecca had refused to count her modest blessings, as her parents counseled.· He was counting his blessings having backed the first 3 horses that actually finished the race.· It would be far better to count her blessings, she told herself firmly.
· Is he really going to give his blessing to Bruce Kent?· Or was he going to give them his blessing and yet refuse to give custody of the child to Maria Luisa?· Personally I would advise you to give them your blessing, what with the baby and all.· He gave his blessing to the meeting and came close to finding himself partnering Desert Orchid in the opening race.· The permanent secretary, Sir Peter Thornton, saw the sense of this and gave the idea his blessing.· We concluded by singing the carol O Come all ye Faithful and I gave them a blessing.· I can tell you one thing - the pater won't give you his blessing.
· The new plans, which have yet to receive official blessing, would drop this to 1-6 times.· By refraining I have no doubt I shall receive the silent blessings of the multitude of duffers among whom I find myself.· May we turn our eyes towards this great sun, draw warmth and strength and comfort from it and receive its blessing.· Eochaid's hand, still marked with ink, touched his hair, and he received Eochaid's blessing.· At many Siva temples and Cobra shrines, women are often seen in prayer or receiving the blessings of the attending priest.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[countable] something that you have or something that happens which is good because it improves your life, helps you in some way, or makes you happy: - Staying at home with the baby has been something of a mixed blessing for Pam.
- The color printer is a mixed blessing - it looks good, but it takes a long time to print.
- But the passenger pigeon, as we now know this bird, was a mixed blessing for the Pilgrims.
- Even that has been a mixed blessing.
- For voluntary organisations the budget was more of a mixed blessing.
- My celebrity was a mixed blessing.
- Such a prestigious credit was something of a mixed blessing.
- Switching to College Prep was a mixed blessing.
- The disintegration of the Takeshita faction was seen as a mixed blessing for Miyazawa.
- The sheer pace of accumulation was itself a mixed blessing.
- The loss of fertilizer proved to be a blessing in disguise. It forced us to use compost, which is better for the soil and crops.
- Again, one may be forced to the conclusion that his departure was a blessing in disguise for him.
- Be positive, this could be a blessing in disguise, use the time gained wisely.
- But in a way that time lag, though it could be frustrating, was also a blessing in disguise.
- Poor Jonas' death was a blessing in disguise, though one could wish it had happened differently.
- The crash was a blessing in disguise for Schwab.
- The great cattle freeze of the white winter had been, in retrospect, a blessing in disguise.
- The Labour defeat was a disaster, but it might be a blessing in disguise.
- Well, maybe this is a blessing in disguise.
- About how much fun it is, count your blessings, all of that.
- He was counting his blessings having backed the first 3 horses that actually finished the race.
- If all this studying is making you a bit queasy, count your blessings.
- In this country we can count our blessings that our children are not constantly at the mercy of these diseases.
- It would be far better to count her blessings, she told herself firmly.
- Or perhaps he was waiting for them to start counting their blessings there and then.
- Then put your feet up and count your blessings!
- You can be sure I count my blessings nowadays.
- About how much fun it is, count your blessings, all of that.
- He was counting his blessings having backed the first 3 horses that actually finished the race.
- If all this studying is making you a bit queasy, count your blessings.
- In this country we can count our blessings that our children are not constantly at the mercy of these diseases.
- It would be far better to count her blessings, she told herself firmly.
- Or perhaps he was waiting for them to start counting their blessings there and then.
- Then put your feet up and count your blessings!
- You can be sure I count my blessings nowadays.
- But the passenger pigeon, as we now know this bird, was a mixed blessing for the Pilgrims.
- Even that has been a mixed blessing.
- For voluntary organisations the budget was more of a mixed blessing.
- My celebrity was a mixed blessing.
- Such a prestigious credit was something of a mixed blessing.
- Switching to College Prep was a mixed blessing.
- The disintegration of the Takeshita faction was seen as a mixed blessing for Miyazawa.
- The sheer pace of accumulation was itself a mixed blessing.
The dishwasher has been a real blessing!it is a blessing (that) It’s a blessing no one was badly hurt.2[uncountable] someone’s approval or encouragement for a plan, activity, idea etcwith somebody’s blessing They were determined to marry, with or without their parents’ blessing. The Defense Department has given its blessing to the scheme.3a mixed blessing a situation that has both good and bad parts: Having children so early in their marriage was a mixed blessing.4a blessing in disguise something that seems to be bad or unlucky at first, but which you later realize is good or lucky5count your blessings used to tell someone to remember how lucky they are, especially when they are complaining about something6[countable, uncountable] protection and help from God, or words spoken to ask for this: The priest gave the blessing.