Blank — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb /ˈblaŋk/

Meaning & Definition of Blank

Blank (adjective)

  1. appearing or causing to appear dazed, confounded, or nonplussed
  2. not having any relevant thoughts
  3. not showing any emotion, expressionless

Blank (noun)

  1. an empty space (as on a paper)
  2. a paper with spaces for the entry of data
  3. a piece of material prepared to be made into something (such as a key) by a further operation

Blank (verb)

  1. obscure, obliterate
  2. to stop access to, seal
  3. to keep (an opponent) from scoring

Blank (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. not expressing any emotion

    "the teacher knew no one was paying attention when she looked out and saw all those blank faces"

    similar: catatonic, deadpan, empty, expressionless, impassive, inexpressive, numb, stolid, vacant
    related: dull, vacuous, vague, vapid, enigmatic, impenetrable, inscrutable, mysterious, motionless, static, still, wooden, reserved, restrained, reticent, taciturn, aloof, apathetic, cold, cool, detached, indifferent, phlegmatic, unresponsive
    opposite: demonstrative, expressive
    near: engaged, interested, responsive, active, alive, animated, bright, busy, dynamic, effervescent, energetic, expansive, exuberant, lively, vivacious, eloquent, revealing, revelatory, gestic, gesticulant, gesticulative, gesticulatory, gestural, emotional, melodramatic, theatrical, unreserved, unrestrained

  2. lacking contents that could or should be present

    "the page of instructions actually turned out to be blank"

    similar: bare, clean, devoid, empty, stark, toom (chiefly Scottish), vacant, vacuous, void
    related: barren, hollow, available, clear, free, open, unfilled, unfurnished, unattended, uninhabited, unoccupied, abandoned, deserted, emptied, forsaken, vacated, depleted, drained, dry, exhausted
    opposite: full
    near: complete, replete, furnished, provided, supplied, filled, occupied, flush, overflowing, packed, teeming

  3. having no exceptions or restrictions

    "his blank refusal to even consider my request for an unpaid leave of absence"

    similar: absolute, all-out, arrant, blooming (chiefly British), bodacious (Southern & Midland), categorical, clean, complete, consummate, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, downright, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plumb, profound, pure, rank, regular, sheer, simple, stark, stone, straight-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, very
    related: authentic, classic, genuine, real, veritable, constant, endless, eternal, perpetual, undying, unremitting, extreme, unrestricted, confirmed, habitual, hopeless, inveterate, extraordinary, frightful, horrible, huge, main, superlative, supreme, surpassing, terrible, terrific
    near: doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted, uncertain

Blank (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a piece of paper with information written or to be written on it

    "handed him an employment blank to fill out"

    similar: document, form, paper
    related: instrument, writ, filing, sheet

  2. empty space

    "a blank on the form for the patient's insurance policy number"

    similar: black hole, blankness, emptiness, vacancy, vacuity, void
    related: nothingness, inane, vacuum, air, open, waste, bareness, barrenness, bleakness, desolateness, hollowness, cavity, gap, hole, hollow
    near: fullness, repleteness

Blank (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in lose, forget

    similar: disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight, slur (over), lose, miss, disremember, forget, unlearn, misremember
    opposite: flash back (to), hark back (to), harken back (to), hearken back (to), mind (chiefly dialect), recall, recollect, remember, reminisce (about), think (of), remind

Related Entry: Blank (out) (verb)

Blank (out) is a different word from Blank. The synonyms below are for blank (out), not for blank.

  1. as in clear, dry up

    similar: clear, die (away or down or out), disperse, dissipate, dry up, dematerialize, disappear, dissolve, evanesce, evaporate, fade, flee, fly, melt, sink, vanish, blur, dim
    opposite: appear, materialize, arrive, break out, come out, emerge, issue, loom, show up

Related Entry: Blank check (noun)

Blank check is a different word from Blank. The synonyms below are for blank check, not for blank.

  1. as in carte blanche, free hand

    similar: carte blanche, free hand, abandon, abandonment, ease, lightheartedness, naturalness, spontaneity, spontaneousness, unconstraint, uninhibitedness, unrestraint, ardor, enthusiasm, exuberance, fervor, spirit, warmth, zeal, zealotry, zealousness, carelessness, heedlessness, impulsiveness, impulsivity, indiscretion, insouciance, recklessness, thoughtlessness, unself-consciousness, casualness, offhandedness, excess, excessiveness, immoderacy, incontinence, indulgence, intemperance, licentiousness, permissiveness, wantonness, wildness
    opposite: embarrassment, reserve, reticence, self-consciousness, uneasiness, inhibition, repression, self-restraint, suppression, carefulness, discreetness, discretion, heedfulness, discipline, self-command, self-control, self-denial, self-discipline, self-mastery, willpower, constraint, restraint

Related Entry: Blank checks (noun)

Blank checks is a different word from Blank. The synonyms below are for blank checks, not for blank.

  1. as in cartes blanches

    similar: cartes blanches, ranges, room, spaces, authorities, clutches, commands, controls, dominions, grips, holds, mandates, masteries, powers, sways, authorizations, freedoms, free hands, latitudes, licenses, runs

Related Entry: Blank verse (noun)

Blank verse is a different word from Blank. The synonyms below are for blank verse, not for blank.

  1. as in poetry, free verse

    similar: free verse, minstrelsy, poesy, poetry, versification, vers libre, lyric, poem, rune, song, rhyme, ballad, lay, anacreontic, clerihew, dithyramb, eclogue, elegy, English sonnet, epic, epigram, epode, epopee, epos, georgic, idyll, jingle, lament, limerick, madrigal, ode, pastoral, pastorale, psalm, rondeau, rondel, rondelet, sonnet, triolet, villanelle, haiku, senryu, tanka

Related Entry: Blank verses (noun)

Blank verses is a different word from Blank. The synonyms below are for blank verses, not for blank.

  1. as in poetries, free verses

    similar: free verses, minstrelsies, poesies, poetries, versifications, vers libres, lyrics, poems, runes, songs, rhymes, ballads, lays, anacreontics, clerihews, dithyrambs, eclogues, elegies, English sonnets, epics, epigrams, epodes, epopees, eposes, georgics, idylls, jingles, laments, limericks, madrigals, odes, pastorales, pastorals, psalms, rondeaux, rondelets, rondelles, sonnets, triolets, villanelles, haiku, senryu, tankas

Related Entry: Point-blank (adjective)

Point-blank is a different word from Blank. The synonyms below are for point-blank, not for blank.

  1. as in forthright, plainspoken

    similar: candid, direct, forthright, foursquare, frank, free-spoken, open, outspoken, plain, plainspoken, straightforward, straight-out, gruff, rough, snappish, artless, discourteous, disrespectful, impertinent, impolite, inconsiderate, insensitive, rude, tactless, undiplomatic, abrupt, bluff, blunt, brusque, crusty, curt, downright, short, short-spoken, snippy, unceremonious, brief, closemouthed, laconic, reserved, reticent, terse, tight-lipped, earnest, honest, sincere, coarse, crass, crude, low, uncouth, vulgar
    opposite: circuitous, mealymouthed, civil, considerate, courteous, diplomatic, gracious, polite, politic, smooth, suave, tactful, loquacious, talkative, voluble, long-winded, prolix, verbose, courtly, cultivated, gallant, genteel, polished, refined

Related Entry: Point-blank (adverb)

Point-blank is a different word from Blank. The synonyms below are for point-blank, not for blank.

  1. as in abruptly, sharply

    similar: abruptly, bluntly, brusquely, curtly, gruffly, sharply, artlessly, earnestly, simply, sincerely, impolitely, inconsiderately, rudely, tactlessly, baldly, bluffly, candidly, frankly, honestly, openheartedly, openly, unguardedly, unreservedly, truthfully, veraciously, directly, forthrightly, foursquare, plain, plainly, straight, straightforward, straightforwardly
    opposite: long-windedly, verbosely, wordily, civilly, courteously, diplomatically, politely, tactfully, deceitfully, mendaciously, untruthfully, erroneously, fallaciously, falsely, hypocritically, insincerely, ambiguously, circuitously, equivocally, evasively, indirectly

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Blank

The most common words with a similar meaning to Blank:

Chiefly Scottish: toom
Chiefly British: blooming
Southern & Midland: bodacious
catatonic, deadpan, empty, expressionless, impassive, inexpressive, numb, stolid, vacant, bare, clean, devoid, stark, vacuous, void, absolute, all-out, arrant, categorical, complete, consummate, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, downright, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plumb, profound, pure, rank, regular

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Blank

Words with the opposite meaning of Blank:

demonstrative, expressive, full, flash back (to), hark back (to), harken back (to), hearken back (to), mind, recall, recollect, remember, reminisce (about), think (of), remind

Related Words for Blank

dull, vague, vapid, enigmatic, impenetrable, inscrutable, mysterious, motionless, static, still, wooden, reserved, restrained, reticent, taciturn, aloof, apathetic, cold, cool, detached, indifferent, phlegmatic, unresponsive, barren, hollow, available, clear, free, open, unfilled

Near Antonyms of Blank

engaged, interested, responsive, active, alive, animated, bright, busy, dynamic, effervescent, energetic, expansive, exuberant, lively, vivacious, eloquent, revealing, revelatory, gestic, gesticulant, gesticulative, gesticulatory, gestural, emotional, melodramatic, theatrical, unreserved, unrestrained, complete, replete

Word Forms of Blank

Inflections: blanked, blanking, blanks

Derived words: blankly (adverb), blankness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Blank

Middle English blank, blaunk "white, (of a document) having empty spaces to be filled in," borrowed from Anglo-French blanc, (feminine) blanche "white, pale, bright, not written on" (also continental Old French), going back to Gallo-Romance *blanko-, borrowed from Germanic *blanka- "bright, without color" (whence Old English blanca, blonca "white horse," Old Saxon wahsblank "white as wax, dun-colored," Middle Dutch blank "light-colored [of a complexion]," Old High German blanc, blanch "pale, white [especially of horses]," Old Icelandic blakkr "pale, brownish-yellow [especially of horses]"), derivative, with infixed -n-, of *blaka-, the etymon of Old English blæc, blac "black, (of other colors) dark" black:1

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Blank

Words & Phrases Containing Blank

blank check, blank check company, blank slate, blank verse, blank line, blank page, blank stare

Frequently Asked Questions about Blank

What does "Blank" mean?

"Blank" means appearing or causing to appear dazed, confounded, or nonplussed. As an an adjective, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: appearing or causing to appear dazed, confounded, or nonplussed. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Blank"?

Other words for "Blank" include catatonic, deadpan, empty, expressionless, impassive, inexpressive, numb and stolid. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Blank" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Blank"?

There are 166 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Blank". Common alternatives include catatonic, deadpan, empty, expressionless, impassive, inexpressive, numb, stolid, vacant and bare.

What is the opposite of "Blank"?

Antonyms of "Blank" include demonstrative, expressive, full, flash back (to), hark back (to), harken back (to), hearken back (to) and mind. Near antonyms include engaged, interested, responsive and active.

How do you use "Blank" in a sentence?

Examples of "Blank" in a sentence: "the teacher knew no one was paying attention when she looked out and saw all those blank faces"; "the page of instructions actually turned out to be blank"; "his blank refusal to even consider my request for an unpaid leave of absence".

Is "Blank" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Blank" can be used as an adjective, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Blank" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Blank" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Blank"?

"Blank" is pronounced /ˈblaŋk/.