Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense blights, present participle blighting, past tense, past participle blighted
1. variable noun
You can refer to something as a blight when it causes great difficulties, and damages or spoils other things.
This discriminatory policy has really been a blight on America.
Manchester still suffers from urban blight and unacceptable poverty.
Synonyms: curse, suffering, evil, depression More Synonyms of blight
2. verb
If something blights your life or your hopes, it damages and spoils them. If something blights an area, it spoils it and makes it unattractive.
An embarrassing blunder nearly blighted his career before it got off the ground. [VERB noun]
...a strategy to redevelop blighted inner-city areas. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: frustrate, destroy, ruin, crush More Synonyms of blight
3. uncountable noun
Blight is a disease which makes plants dry up and die.
More Synonyms of blight
blight in British English
(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
6.
to cause or suffer a blight
7. (transitive)
to frustrate or disappoint
8. (transitive)
to spoil; destroy
Word origin
C17: perhaps related to Old English blǣce rash; compare bleach
blight in American English
(blaɪt)
noun
1.
any atmospheric or soil condition, parasite, or insect that kills, withers, or checks the growth of plants
2.
any of several plant diseases, as rust, mildew, or smut
3.
anything that destroys, prevents growth, or causes devaluation
slums are a blight on a city
4.
a person or thing that withers someone's hopes or ambitions
5.
the condition or result of being blighted
verb transitive
6.
to cause a blight in or on; wither
7.
to destroy
8.
to disappoint or frustrate
verb intransitive
9.
to suffer blight
Derived forms
blighted (ˈblighted)
adjective
Word origin
? akin to ME blichening, blight, rust (on grain) < bliknen, to lose color < ON blikja, turn pale: see bleach
Examples of 'blight' in a sentence
blight
While he is alive, the shadow that has blighted my life will still be there.
The Sun (2016)
The rest may be placed on pylons outside the national park, leading to fears they will still blight the view.
The Sun (2016)
I had to cast my mind back 30 years to the incident that blighted my life.
The Sun (2016)
Charges imposed by councils to dispose of waste are contributing to an increase in fly-tipping that is blighting many areas, a survey suggests.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is often grown in areas where tomato blight is a problem.
The Sun (2010)
For five years it was a blight on my life.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We have a generation blighted by youth unemployment.
The Sun (2010)
Crime and antisocial behaviour still blight too many lives.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
What is the cause of this blight?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He said wind turbines do not work and blight the landscape.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Airport noise and pollution blight many lives.
The Sun (2008)
Almost all areas are blighted by misbehaving youths at night.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He has seen first hand the tragedy of lives blighted by unemployment.
The Sun (2010)
The more vigorous growth also provides a better defence against blight disease and fruits especially have proved to have a higher resistance.
The Sun (2013)
More than that, it has the potential to transform what has become a blighted city.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
To be sure, there are too many women suffering from the blight of anorexia.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
What is it with British trains and urban blight?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It begins in a corner of London blighted by poverty and despair.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The Open can be blessed or blighted by meteorological conditions.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Britain has suffered from ambition blight, compounded by a planning blight.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Should they be blighted for life, and have their employment prospects limited?
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Here we speak to families who have been blighted by the disease - and come back fighting.
The Sun (2010)
Scratch beneath its surface and Croydon has much more to offer than urban blight and the odd supermodel.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The already blighted city has been hit hard by the current economic crisis, with one in five houses standing empty.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
According to the rare reports that emerge from inside, the crumbling cities and towns are blighted by poverty and despair.
The Sun (2013)
A player of mercurial brilliance, his career has been blighted by injury.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He continued to tour and record but in recent decades his career was blighted by ill health, which led to long periods away from the limelight.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It was a very great blight on American history, but in the end the trials made a big difference.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Not only is it blighted by foul conditions but it also bears no relation to the original concept of a May Day celebration.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
blight
British English: blight NOUN
You can refer to something as a blight when it causes great difficulties, and damages or spoils other things.
This discriminatory policy has really been a blight on this country.
American English: blight
Brazilian Portuguese: chaga
Chinese: 祸因
European Spanish: plaga
French: rouille
German: Schandfleck
Italian: rovina
Japanese: 傷つけるもの
Korean: 병충해
European Portuguese: chaga
Latin American Spanish: plaga
British English: blight VERB
If something blights your life or your hopes, it damages and spoils them.
An embarrassing blunder nearly blighted his career before it got off the ground.
American English: blight
Brazilian Portuguese: frustrar
Chinese: 毁
European Spanish: arruinar
French: gâcher
German: zerstören
Italian: rovinare
Japanese: 傷つける
Korean: 망치다
European Portuguese: frustrar
Latin American Spanish: arruinar
All related terms of 'blight'
fire blight
a disease of apples , pears , and similar fruit trees, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora and characterized by blackening of the blossoms and leaves, and cankers on the branches
late blight
a disease of plants, esp. potatoes , celery , etc., characterized by spotting , blighting , and withering or decay of the entire plant, caused by any of several fungi, as Phytophthora infestans or Septoria apii
leaf blight
a symptom or phase of many diseases of plants, characterized by necrotic spots or streaks on the leaves, accompanied by seed rot and seedling blight
apple blight
an aphid , Eriosoma lanigera, that is covered with a powdery waxy secretion and infests apple trees
potato blight
a devastating disease of potatoes produced by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans which was the cause of the Irish potato famine of the mid-19th century
sandy blight
a nontechnical name for any of various eye inflammations
urban blight
the decay and deterioration of an urban area due to neglect or age
American blight
an aphid , Eriosoma lanigera, that is covered with a powdery waxy secretion and infests apple trees
chestnut blight
a disease of chestnut trees, caused by a fungus ( Endothia parasitica ), that has virtually destroyed the American chestnut
planning blight
the harmful effects of uncertainty about likely restrictions on the types and extent of future development in a particular area on the quality of life of its inhabitants and the normal growth of its business and community enterprises
Chinese translation of 'blight'
blight
(blaɪt)
vt
[career, life etc]损(損)害 (sǔnhài)
n
(c) (fig) 损(損)害 (sǔnhài)
(u)[of plants]枯萎病 (kūwěibìng)
1 (noun)
Definition
a person or thing that spoils or prevents growth
urban blight and unacceptable poverty
Synonyms
curse
She has worked hard to reverse the curse of racism.
suffering
It has caused terrible suffering to animals.
evil
those who see money as the root of all evil
depression
corruption
distress
There was little support to help them in their distress.
pollution
misery
All that money brought nothing but misery.
plague (informal)
the cynicism which is the plague of our generation
hardship
Many people are suffering economic hardship.
woe
He listened to my tale of woe.
misfortune
He had had his full share of misfortunes.
contamination
adversity
He showed courage in adversity.
scourge
Vandalism is a scourge that is ruining our beautiful town.
affliction
Hay fever is an affliction that arrives at an early age.
bane
Spots can be the bane of a teenager.
wretchedness
Opposites
help
,
service
,
favour
,
blessing
,
boon
,
bounty
,
godsend
,
benefaction
2 (noun)
Definition
a fungus or insect that causes blight in plants
the worst year of the potato blight
Synonyms
disease
the disease of racism eating away at the core of our society
plague
the plague that floored ancient Athens
pest
all kinds of pests like flies and mosquitoes
bacterial, fungal, and viral pests of the plants themselves
fungus
contamination
mildew
contagion
The contagion of tuberculosis was the plague of that era.
infestation
pestilence
the pestilence of unemployment
canker
The canker of anti-semitism is growing again in this country.
cancer
There's a cancer in the system.
1 (verb)
Definition
to cause to suffer a blight
families whose lives were blighted by unemployment
Synonyms
frustrate
The government has deliberately frustrated his efforts.
destroy
The building was completely destroyed.
ruin
The original decor was all ruined during renovation.
crush
mar
A number of problems marred the smooth running of the event.
dash
They had their hopes raised and then dashed.
wreck
Vandals wrecked the garden.
spoil
It is important not to let mistakes spoil your life.
crool or cruel (Australian, slang)
scar
The table top was scarred and dented.
undo
Our hopes of a victory were undone by an error from the goalkeeper.
mess up
annihilate
The army was annihilated.
nullify
put a damper on
2 (verb)
Definition
to destroy
Synonyms
destroy
injure
an attempt to injure another trader's business
blast
ruin
Roads have been destroyed and crops ruined.
wither
Mary withered me with a glance.
shrivel
The plant shrivels and dies.
nip in the bud
taint with mildew
Additional synonyms
in the sense of adversity
Definition
very difficult or hard circumstances
He showed courage in adversity.
Synonyms
hardship,
trouble,
distress,
suffering,
trial,
disaster,
reverse,
misery,
hard times,
catastrophe,
sorrow,
woe,
misfortune,
bad luck,
deep water,
calamity,
mishap,
affliction,
wretchedness,
ill-fortune,
ill-luck
in the sense of affliction
Definition
something that causes physical or mental suffering
Hay fever is an affliction that arrives at an early age.
Synonyms
misfortune,
suffering,
trouble,
trial,
disease,
pain,
distress,
grief,
misery,
plague (informal),
curse,
ordeal,
sickness,
torment,
hardship,
sorrow,
woe,
adversity,
calamity,
scourge,
tribulation,
wretchedness
in the sense of annihilate
Definition
to destroy (a place or a group of people) completely