Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense blinds, present participle blinding, past tense, past participle blinded
1. adjective
Someone who is blind is unable to see because their eyes are damaged.
I started helping him run the business when he went blind.
How would you explain colour to a blind person?
Synonyms: sightless, unsighted, unseeing, visually impaired More Synonyms of blind
The blind are people who are blind. This use could cause offence.
He was a teacher of the blind.
blindnessuncountable noun
Early diagnosis and treatment can usually prevent blindness.
2. verb
If something blinds you, it makes you unable to see, either for a short time or permanently.
The sun hit the windscreen, momentarily blinding him. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: stop someone seeing, block someone's vision, obscure someone's vision More Synonyms of blind
3. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If you are blindwith something such as tears or a bright light, you are unable to see for a short time because of the tears orlight.
Her mother groped for the back of the chair, her eyes blind with tears. [+ with]
blindlyadverb
Lettie groped blindly for the glass.
Synonyms: wildly, aimlessly, madly, frantically More Synonyms of blind
4. adjective
If you say that someone is blind to a fact or a situation, you mean that they ignore it or are unaware of it, although you think that they should take notice of it or be aware of it.
[disapproval]
David's good looks and impeccable manners had always made her blind to his faults.
All the time I was blind to your suffering.
Synonyms: unaware of, unconscious of, deaf to, ignorant of More Synonyms of blind
blindnessuncountable noun
...blindness in government policy to the very existence of the unemployed.
5. verb
If something blinds you to the real situation, it prevents you from realizing that it exists or from understanding it properly.
He never allowed his love of Australia to blind him to his countrymen's faults. [VERB noun + to]
6. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
You can describe someone's beliefs or actions as blind when you think that they seem to take no notice of important facts or behave in an unreasonable way.
[disapproval]
...her blind faith in the wisdom of the Church.
Lesley yelled at him with blind, hating rage.
Synonyms: unquestioning, prejudiced, wholesale, implicit More Synonyms of blind
7. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A blind corner is one that you cannot see round because something is blocking your view.
He tried to overtake three cars on a blind corner and crashed head-on into a lorry.
8. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A blind wall or building is one which has no windows or doors.
I remembered a huddle of stone buildings with blind walls.
9. countable noun
A blind is a roll of cloth or paper which you can pull down over a window as a covering.
10. See also blinding, blindly, colour-blind, Venetian blind
11.
See to turn a blind eye
More Synonyms of blind
blind in British English
(blaɪnd)
adjective
1.
a.
unable to see; sightless
b. often offensive
(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
adverb
15.
without being able to see ahead or using only instruments
to drive blind
flying blind
16.
without adequate knowledge or information; carelessly
to buy a house blind
17.
(intensifier) (in the phrase blind drunk)
18. bake blind
verb(mainly tr)
19.
to deprive of sight permanently or temporarily
20.
to deprive of good sense, reason, or judgment
21.
to darken; conceal
22. (foll by with)
to overwhelm by showing detailed knowledge
to blind somebody with science
23. (intransitive) British slang
to drive very fast
24. (intransitive) British slang
to curse (esp in the phrase effing and blinding)
noun
25. (modifier)
for or intended to help blind and partially sighted people
a blind school
26.
a shade for a window, usually on a roller
27.
any obstruction or hindrance to sight, light, or air
28.
a person, action, or thing that serves to deceive or conceal the truth
29.
a person who acts on behalf of someone who does not wish his or her identity or actions to be known
30. Also called: blinder British old-fashioned, slang
a drunken orgy; binge
31. poker
a stake put up by a player before examining his or her cards
32. hunting, mainly US and Canadian
a screen of brush or undergrowth, in which hunters hide to shoot their quarry
Brit name: hide
33. 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
blindly (ˈblindly)
adverb
blindness (ˈblindness)
noun
Word origin
Old English blind; related to Old Norse blindr, Old High German blint; Lettish blendu to see dimly; see blunder
blind in American English
(blaind) (adjective-er, -est)
adjective
1.
unable to see; lacking the sense of sight; sightless
a blind man
2.
unwilling or unable to perceive or understand
They were blind to their children's faults. He was blind to all arguments
3.
not characterized or determined by reason or control
blind tenacity
blind chance
4.
not having or based on reason or intelligence; absolute and unquestioning
She had blind faith in his fidelity
5.
lacking all consciousness or awareness
a blind stupor
6.
drunk
7.
hard to see or understand
blind reasoning
8.
hidden from immediate view, esp. 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 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 purchase
a blind lead in a card game
15.
of or pertaining to an experimental design that prevents investigators or subjects from knowing the hypotheses or conditions being tested
16.
of, pertaining 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. Cookery(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
transitive verb
20.
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
21.
to make obscure or dark
The room was blinded by heavy curtains
22.
to deprive of discernment, reason, or judgment
a resentment that blinds his good sense
23.
to outshine; eclipse
a radiance that doth blind the sun
noun
24.
something that obstructs vision, as a blinker for a horse
25.
a window covering having horizontal or vertical slats that can be drawn out of the way, often with the angle of the slats adjustable toadmit varying amounts of light
26. See venetian blind
27. (chiefly Midland US and Brit) See window shade
28.
a lightly built structure of brush or other growths, esp. one in which hunters concealthemselves
29.
an activity, organization, or the like for concealing or masking action or purpose; subterfuge
The store was just a blind for their gambling operation
30.
a decoy
31. slang
a bout of excessive drinking; drunken spree
32. Poker
a compulsory bet made without prior knowledge of one's hand
33. (used with a pl. v.) sometimes offensive (usually preceded by the)
persons who lack the sense of sight
The blind are said to have an acute sense of hearing
adverb
34.
into a stupor; to the degree at which consciousness is lost
He drank himself blind
35.
without the ability to see clearly; lacking visibility; blindly
They were driving blind through the snowstorm
36.
without guidance or forethought
They were working blind and couldn't anticipate the effects of their actions
37.
to an extreme or absolute degree; completely
The confidence men cheated her blind
Derived forms
blindingly
adverb
blindness
noun
Word origin
[bef. 1000; (adj.) ME blind, OE; c. Goth blinds, ON blindr, G, D blind (‹ Gmc *blindaz, perh. akin to blend; original sense uncert.); (v.) ME blinden, deriv. of the adj.]
More idioms containing
blind
turn a blind eye to something
swear blind
fly blind
the blind leading the blind
blind as a bat
a blind alley
blind someone with science
a blind spot
Examples of 'blind' in a sentence
blind
It left her permanently scarred and blind in one eye.
The Sun (2017)
There is a sort of blind spot.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
To be told you are going blind is bad enough without the realisation that you brought it on yourself.
The Sun (2016)
The cabs in these lorries tend to be high off the ground and have narrow windows with large blind spots.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Trust me - you can buy these blind.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
If there is a squad of public health lobbyists here, popular culture seems blind to them.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Blind bake for 20 min until cooked through.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That was simplistic and it blinded people to the many good things he did with the England squad.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Hundreds of blind patients could see again using a technique that wirelessly connects an implant on the retina to a camera mounted in a pair of glasses.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
There could be underlying problems around here that people turn a blind eye to.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They do blinding beaded ones season after season.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
You would be blind not to see it.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It saves you and your doctor going down blind alleys.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
More depressing still was the fact that the manager seemed blind to the reality.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They should be really firm and cold so that you can avoid having to blind bake them.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Yet these were obviously the eyes of the blind.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
You need to be blind drunk to avoid reaching for the off button.
The Sun (2007)
Replace them with opaque window film or blinds.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He was nearly blind and unable to use the outside cash machine.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Doctors say he will be permanently blind in that eye.
The Sun (2014)
The only consolation is that no one takes a blind bit of notice of them.
The Sun (2013)
There is a blind spot in government about such public data businesses.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
To help with blind spots the super lorry has two cameras showing either side of the vehicle.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Not that it will make a blind bit of difference.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Lay the roller across the blind top with the spring mechanism on the left.
Churchill, Jane (ed.) Collins Complete Books of Soft Furnishings (1993)
The blind man is healed for a reason beyond his personal benefit.
Christianity Today (2000)
Dozens of people were wounded and blinded by flying glass.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Round blind bends where you could not possibly see if the road ahead was blocked.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
While they had allowed themselves to be driven by blind instinct they were unsuccessful as parents and uncomfortable as people.
Bethune, Helen Positive Parent Power (1991)
Yet his love is not blind.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Buying property blind on the internet?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It is a completely blind apex.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Obviously, not all artists are blind to what science can teach them.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Quotations
If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditchBible: St. Matthew
There's none so blind as those who will not see
A nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse
In other languages
blind
British English: blind /blaɪnd/ ADJECTIVE
Someone who is blind is unable to see because their eyes are damaged.
I started helping him run the business when he went blind.
American English: blind
Arabic: أَعْمَى
Brazilian Portuguese: cego
Chinese: 盲目的
Croatian: slijep
Czech: slepý
Danish: blind
Dutch: blind
European Spanish: ciego
Finnish: sokea
French: aveugle
German: blind
Greek: τυφλός
Italian: cieco
Japanese: 目の見えない
Korean: 눈 먼
Norwegian: blind
Polish: ślepy
European Portuguese: cego
Romanian: orb
Russian: слепой
Latin American Spanish: ciego
Swedish: blind
Thai: ตาบอด
Turkish: kör
Ukrainian: сліпий
Vietnamese: mù
British English: blind /blaɪnd/ NOUN
The blind are people who are unable to see because their eyes are damaged.
He was a teacher of the blind.
American English: blind
Arabic: العُمْيَان
Brazilian Portuguese: cego
Chinese: 盲目的
Croatian: slijepci
Czech: nevidomý
Danish: blinde
Dutch: blinden
European Spanish: ciego
Finnish: sokea
French: aveugles
German: Blinder
Greek: τυφλός
Italian: ciechi
Japanese: 目の見えない
Korean: 맹인들
Norwegian: blinde
Polish: niewidomy
European Portuguese: invisual
Romanian: nevăzători
Russian: слепой
Latin American Spanish: ciego
Swedish: blinda
Thai: คนตาบอด
Turkish: körler
Ukrainian: сліпий
Vietnamese: người mù
British English: blind VERB
If something blinds you, it makes you unable to see, either for a short time or permanently.
The sun hit the windscreen, momentarily blinding him.
American English: blind
Brazilian Portuguese: cegar
Chinese: 使看不见
European Spanish: cegar
French: aveugler
German: blenden
Italian: accecare
Japanese: 見えないようにする
Korean: 눈멀게 하다
European Portuguese: cegar
Latin American Spanish: cegar
All related terms of 'blind'
blind bid
an offer on the part of a big investor to buy a number of different stocks without knowing exactly which stocks are included in the package
blind gut
→ cecum
blind pig
→ speak-easy
fly blind
to be in a situation where you have nothing to help or guide you
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
blind alley
If you describe a situation as a blind alley , you mean that progress is not possible or that the situation can have no useful results.
blind date
A blind date is an arrangement made for you to spend a romantic evening with someone you have never met before.
blind panic
Panic is a very strong feeling of anxiety or fear , which makes you act without thinking carefully.
blind side
the side of the field between the scrum and the nearer touchline
blind snake
any burrowing snake of the family Typhlopidae and related families of warm and tropical regions, having very small or vestigial eyes
blind spot
If you say that someone has a blind spot about something, you mean that they seem to be unable to understand it or to see how important it is.
blind test
a test in which the participants cannot identify the products that they are testing
blind tiger
→ speak-easy
blind trust
A blind trust is a financial arrangement in which someone's investments are managed without the person knowing where the money is invested . Blind trusts are used especially by people such as members of parliament , so that they cannot be accused of using their position to make money unfairly.
color-blind
Someone who is color-blind cannot see the difference between colors , especially between red and green.
half-blind
having a limited capacity to see
moon-blind
having moon blindness
Roman blind
a window blind consisting of a length of material which, when drawn up, gathers into horizontal folds from the bottom
sand blind
not completely blind ; partially able to see
snow-blind
temporarily unable to see or having impaired vision because of the intense reflection of sunlight from snow
stone-blind
completely blind
swear blind
to insist that you are telling someone the truth, even though they are not sure whether or not to believe you. The American expression is swear up and down .
blind corner
a corner where the view of the road ahead is completely obscured or very restricted
Blind Freddie
an imaginary person representing the highest degree of incompetence (esp in the phrase Blind Freddie could see that! )
blind stitch
a type of stitch that is visible on one side of the material only
blind summit
a point on a road where a vehicle approaching the top of a hill or incline cannot see vehicles approaching up the other side of the hill
colour-blind
Someone who is colour-blind cannot see the difference between colours, especially between red and green .
double-blind
A double-blind study or experiment compares two groups of people, one of which is being tested while the other is not. Neither the people doing the testing nor the members of the two groups know which group is being tested.
festoon blind
a window blind consisting of vertical rows of horizontally gathered fabric that may be drawn up to form a series of ruches
gender-blind
not discriminating on the basis of gender , or not making a distinction between genders
gravel-blind
almost entirely blind
hoodman-blind
blind man's buff
roller blind
a blind consisting of a length of fabric rolled around a pole and fitted to the top of a window
single-blind
of or relating to an experiment , esp one to discover people's reactions to certain commodities , drugs, etc, in which the experimenters but not the subjects know the particulars of the test items during the experiment
window blind
See window shade
a blind spot
something that you do not understand or know anything about, although you feel that perhaps you should
Austrian blind
a window blind consisting of rows of vertically gathered fabric that may be drawn up to form a series of ruches
blind audition
An audition is a short performance given by an actor, dancer, or musician so that a director or conductor can decide if they are good enough to be in a play, film, or orchestra.
blind blocking
an impression on a book cover without using colour or gold leaf
blind optimism
Optimism is the feeling of being hopeful about the future or about the success of something in particular.
blind register
(in the United Kingdom ) a list of those who are blind and are therefore entitled to financial and other benefits
blind staggers
the staggers
blind stamping
an impression on a book cover without using colour or gold leaf
Venetian blind
A Venetian blind is a window blind made of thin horizontal strips which can be adjusted to let in more or less light.
a blind alley
something that is useless and will not lead to anything worthwhile
eff and blind
to use obscene language
blind as a bat
unable to see well
blind man's buff
a game in which a blindfolded person tries to catch and identify the other players
turn a blind eye
to disregard deliberately or pretend not to notice (something, esp an action of which one disapproves )
blind carbon (copy)
a carbon copy of a letter sent to someone other than the addressee , with no indication on the original letter that such a copy has been sent
Chinese translation of 'blind'
blind
(blaɪnd)
adj
(Med) 失明的 (shīmíng de)
[faith, panic, obedience]盲目的 (mángmù de)
[corner]看不见(見)另一头(頭)的 (kànbujiàn lìng yī tóu de)
n
(for window) 向上卷(捲)的帘(簾)子 (xiàng shàng juǎn de liánzi)
vt
(Med) 使 ... 失明 (shǐ ... shīmíng)
(= dazzle) 使晕(暈)眩 (shǐ yūnxuàn)
(fig, = make insensitive) 使意识(識)不到 (shǐ yìshi bù dào)
to go blind失明 (shīmíng)
to be blind to sth对(對)某事意识(識)不到 (duì mǒushì yìshi bù dào)
blind in one eye一只眼睛失明 (yī zhī yǎnjīng shīmíng)
to turn a blind eye (to sth)(对(對)某事)视(視)而不见(見) ((duì mǒushì) shì ér bù jiàn)
Derived Forms
the blindn pl (= blind people) 盲人 (mángrén)
All related terms of 'blind'
blind alley
( US : without exit ) 死胡同 sǐhútòng [ 条(條) tiáo ] [ 英 = cul-de-sac ]
colour-blind
色盲的 sèmáng de
to go blind
失明 shīmíng
blind in one eye
一只眼睛失明 yī zhī yǎnjīng shīmíng
to be blind to sth
对(對)某事意识(識)不到 duì mǒushì yìshi bù dào
to turn a blind eye (to sth)
(对(對)某事)视(視)而不见(見) (duì mǒushì) shì ér bù jiàn
1 (adjective)
Definition
unable to see
How would you describe colour to a blind person?
Synonyms
sightless
unsighted
unseeing
visually impaired
eyeless
visionless
stone-blind (archaic)
Opposites
seeing
,
sighted
2 (adjective)
Definition
unable or unwilling to understand
All the time I was blind to your suffering.
Synonyms
unaware of
unconscious of
deaf to
ignorant of
indifferent to
insensitive to
oblivious of
unconcerned about
inconsiderate of
neglectful of
heedless of
insensible of
unmindful of
disregardful of
Opposites
concerned
,
aware
,
conscious
,
noticeable
,
discerning
,
knowledgeable
,
attentive
,
alive to
,
observant
,
heedful
3 (adjective)
Definition
not determined by reason
her blind faith in the wisdom of her elders
Synonyms
unquestioning
prejudiced
wholesale
the wholesale destruction of life on this planet
implicit
indiscriminate
the indiscriminate arrests during the protests
uncritical
uncritical supporters of the president
unreasoning
undiscriminating
4 (adjective)
Definition
hidden from sight
a blind corner
Synonyms
hidden
The den was hidden in the undergrowth.
concealed
He was filmed with a concealed camera.
obscured
dim
His torch picked out the dim figures.
unseen
playing computer games against unseen opponents
tucked away
Opposites
open
,
obvious
5 (adjective)
Definition
closed at one end
a dusty hotel room overlooking a blind alley
Synonyms
dead-end
closed
dark
obstructed
leading nowhere
without exit
6 (adjective)
I went into a blind panic.
Synonyms
unthinking
Bruce was no unthinking vandal.
wild
The angry crowd became quite wild and agitated.
violent
his violent, almost pathological jealousy
rash
Don't do anything rash until the feelings subside.
reckless
He is charged with causing death by reckless driving.
irrational
hasty
Let's not be hasty.
senseless
acts of senseless violence
mindless
It was a mindless accident.
uncontrollable
The situation could become uncontrollable.
uncontrolled
His uncontrolled behaviour disturbed the whole class.
unchecked
impetuous
He tended to act in a heated and impetuous way.
intemperate
the unwisely intemperate language of the party leader
unconstrained
1 (verb)
Definition
to deprive of sight permanently or temporarily
The sun hit the windscreen, momentarily blinding him.
Synonyms
stop someone seeing
block someone's vision
obscure someone's vision
2 (verb)
Definition
to deprive of sight permanently or temporarily
The blast of pellets blinded her in one eye.
Synonyms
make blind
deprive of sight
deprive of vision
render sightless
3 (verb)
Definition
to overwhelm by showing detailed knowledge
They would try to blind us with science.
Synonyms
intimidate
confuse
Politics just confuses me.
overwhelm
baffle
An apple tree producing square fruit is baffling experts.
bewilder
The silence from her sister had hurt and bewildered her.
perplex
problems that perplexed me
mystify
There was something strange in her attitude that mystified me.
faze
flummox
This system has the potential to flummox most car thieves.
nonplus
1 (noun)
Definition
a shade for a window
Hang the blind straight.
Synonyms
shutter
She opened the shutters and gazed out over roofs.
cover
Put a polythene cover over it to protect it from dust.
screen
They put a screen in front of me.
shade
She left the shades down and the lights off.
canopy
The dais is covered with a silk brocade canopy.
louvre
awning
They leapt from a first-floor window on to a shop awning.
Venetian blind
roller blind
2 (noun)
Definition
a person, action, or thing that serves to deceive or conceal the truth
Synonyms
cover
The grocery store was just a cover for their betting shop.
front (informal)
a front for crime syndicates
screen
mask
His mask cracked, and she saw an angry and violent man.
cloak
Individualism is sometimes used as a cloak for self-interest.
façade
At work they hid their dislike of each other behind a façade of cheerfulness.
camouflage
Her merrymaking was only a camouflage to disguise her grief.
masquerade
She claimed that the elections would be a masquerade.
feint
a tiny feint or lunge to one side
smoke screen
Quotation
If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch [Bible: St. Matthew]
proverbs
There's none so blind as those who will not seeA nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse
Additional synonyms
in the sense of awning
Definition
a canvas roof supported by a frame to give protection against the weather
They leapt from a first-floor window on to a shop awning.
Synonyms
canopy,
tester,
covering,
shade,
sunshade,
baldachin
in the sense of baffle
Definition
to perplex
An apple tree producing square fruit is baffling experts.
Synonyms
puzzle,
beat (slang),
amaze,
confuse,
stump,
bewilder,
astound,
elude,
confound,
perplex,
disconcert,
mystify,
flummox,
boggle the mind of,
dumbfound
in the sense of bewilder
Definition
to confuse utterly
The silence from her sister had hurt and bewildered her.