bless

bless

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of bless in English

English Online Dictionary. What means bless‎? What does bless mean?

English

Pronunciation

  • enPR: blĕs, IPA(key): /blɛs/
  • Rhymes: -ɛs

Etymology 1

From Middle English blessen, from Old English bletsian (to consecrate (with blood)), from Proto-West Germanic *blōdisōn (to sprinkle, mark or hallow with blood), from Proto-Germanic *blōþą (blood), of uncertain origin, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- (to bloom). Cognate with Old Norse bleza (to bless) (whence Icelandic blessa), Old English blēdan (to bleed). More at bleed. Equivalent to blood + -se.

Verb

bless (third-person singular simple present blesses, present participle blessing, simple past and past participle blest or blessed)

  1. To make something holy by religious rite, sanctify.
  2. To make the sign of the cross upon, so as to sanctify.
  3. To invoke divine favor upon.
  4. To honor as holy, glorify; to extol for excellence.
  5. To esteem or account happy; to felicitate.
  6. (obsolete) To wave; to brandish.
  7. (Perl programming, transitive, past tense only blessed) To turn (a reference) into an object.
  8. (archaic, with from) To secure, defend, or prevent from.
  9. (MTE, slang) To give or send.
  10. (transitive) To approve of or assent to.
    After those modifications, the Board blessed the reorganization plan.
Antonyms
  • curse
  • condemn
  • (programming): unbless
Derived terms
Related terms
  • blessed
  • blessing
  • bleed
  • blood
Translations

Etymology 2

An ellipsis for an expression such as bless your heart.

Interjection

bless

  1. (UK, Canada, informal) Used as an expression of endearment, gratitude, or (ironically) belittlement.

Anagrams

  • ESBLs, slebs

Icelandic

Etymology

Presumably a clipping related to the greeting vertu blessaður (literally be blessed), compare English God bless.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈplɛs/

Interjection

bless

  1. goodbye, bye

Synonyms

  • vertu blessaður
  • vertu bless
  • bless bless
  • (informal)

Antonyms

  • halló
  • (informal)

Related terms

  • blessi þig (bless you, gesundheit)
  • blessaður! (greetings!)
  • sæll og blessaður! (greetings!)

Yola

Etymology

From Middle English blessen, from Old English bletsian,, from Proto-West Germanic *blōdisōn.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /blɛs/

Verb

bless (simple past blessed)

  1. to bless

References

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This article based on an article on Wiktionary. The list of authors can be seen in the page history there. The original work has been modified. This article is distributed under the terms of this license.