Blind — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb noun adverb /ˈblīnd/

Meaning & Definition of Blind

Blind (adjective)

  1. lacking or deficient in sight; specifically, having less than ⅒ of normal vision in the more efficient eye when refractive defects are fully corrected by lenses
  2. of, relating to, or designed for persons lacking or deficient in sight
  3. unable or unwilling to discern or judge

Blind (verb)

  1. to make (a person or animal) permanently blind
  2. to cause (a person or animal) to be unable to see for a short time, dazzle
  3. to cause (someone) to be unable to think clearly or act reasonably

Blind (noun)

  1. something to hinder sight or keep out light
  2. a window shutter
  3. a roller window shade

Blind (adverb)

  1. blindly
  2. to the point of insensibility
  3. without seeing outside an airplane

Blind (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. lacking the power of sight

    "our old blind cat kept walking into walls and furniture"

    similar: eyeless, sightless, stone-blind, visionless
    related: blinded, blindfold, blindfolded, unsighted, gravel-blind, purblind
    opposite: sighted
    near: observant, observing, seeing, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, gimlet-eyed, lynx-eyed, sharp-eyed, sharp-sighted

  2. being under the influence of alcohol

    "you'd have to be really blind to think that was a good idea"

    similar: besotted, blasted (slang), blitzed (slang), blotto (slang), bombed, boozy, canned (slang), cockeyed, crocked, drunk, drunken, fried, gassed, hammered (slang), high, impaired, inebriate, inebriated, intoxicated, juiced (slang), lit, lit up, loaded (slang), looped, oiled (slang), pickled, pie-eyed, plastered, potted (slang), ripped (slang), sloshed (slang), smashed (slang), sottish, soused, sozzled, squiffed, stewed, stiff, stinking (slang), stoned, tanked (slang), tiddly (chiefly British), tight, tipsy, wasted (slang), wet, wiped out (slang), in one's cups, in the bag (slang), three sheets in the wind, under the influence, under the weather
    related: maudlin, beery, befuddled, bleary-eyed, crapulous, dopey, rocky, strung out, stupefied, debauched, dissipated, dissolute, alcoholic, bibulous, dipsomaniacal
    opposite: sober, straight
    near: abstemious, abstinent, dry, temperate, teetotal, clearheaded, cool, level, steady

Blind (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to overpower with light

    "the bright lights in the TV studio momentarily blinded the quiz show contestants"

    similar: bedazzle, daze, dazzle
    related: confuse, overpower, overwhelm, stun

Blind (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in cover, recess

    similar: cover, nook, recess, concealment, covert, den, hermitage, hideaway, hideout, hidey-hole, lair, nest, hangout, harbor, harborage, haunt, haven, redoubt, refuge, retreat, shelter

  2. as in front, smoke screen

    similar: front, smoke screen, fraud, gaff, hoax, sham, swindle, cheating, chicanery, cozenage, craft, crookery, cunning, deception, dupery, duplicity, fakery, jugglery, legerdemain, skulduggery, subterfuge, swindling, trickery, bluff, end run, feint, artifice, device, dodge, fetch, flimflam, gambit, gimmick, jig, juggle, knack, play, ploy, ruse, scheme, shenanigan, sleight, stratagem, trick, wile

Related Entry: Stone-blind (adjective)

Stone-blind is a different word from Blind. The synonyms below are for stone-blind, not for blind.

  1. lacking the power of sight

    "he's so oblivious to everything around him that you'd think he was stone-blind"

    similar: blind, eyeless, sightless, visionless
    related: blinded, blindfold, blindfolded, unsighted, gravel-blind, purblind
    opposite: sighted
    near: observant, observing, seeing, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, gimlet-eyed, lynx-eyed, sharp-eyed, sharp-sighted

Related Entry: Gravel-blind (adjective)

Gravel-blind is a different word from Blind. The synonyms below are for gravel-blind, not for blind.

  1. as in purblind

    similar: purblind, blinded, blindfold, blindfolded, unsighted, blind, eyeless, sightless, stone-blind, visionless
    opposite: sighted, observant, observing, seeing, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, gimlet-eyed, lynx-eyed, sharp-eyed, sharp-sighted

Related Entry: Turn (verb)

Turn is a different word from Blind. The synonyms below are for turn, not for blind.

  1. to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis

    "turned the doorknob as quietly as possible"

    similar: pivot, revolve, roll, rotate, spin, swing, swirl, swivel, twirl, twist, wheel, whirl
    related: screw, unscrew, twiddle, coil, crank, reel, wind, circulate

  2. to change the course or direction of (something)

    "the dog turned the stampeding flock of sheep around"

    "he turned his cart uphill"

    similar: deflect, divert, redirect, swing, veer, wheel, whip
    related: avert, deviate, move, rechannel, shift, shunt, sidetrack, swerve, switch, transfer, swivel, twist, whirl, zigzag, bend, curve, sway, reverse, turn back

  3. to change one's course or direction

    "we turned left at the light"

    "the storm unexpectedly turned south and missed our area"

    similar: detour, deviate, diverge, sheer, swerve, swing, turn off, veer, wheel
    related: tack, zigzag, double (back), turn back

  4. to eventually have as a state or quality

    "will turn 12 in six months"

    similar: become, come, get, go, grow, run, wax
    related: alter, change, metamorphose, modify, mutate, transfigure, transform, transmute
    near: abide, be, continue, linger, remain, stay

  5. to move in circles around an axis or center

    "the wheels turned, but the car was hopelessly stuck and wasn't moving"

    similar: gyrate, pinwheel, pirouette, revolve, roll, rotate, spin, twirl, wheel, whirl
    related: coil, curl, curve, round, spiral, swirl, twine, twist, wind, circle, circulate, encircle, orbit, ring, pivot, swivel

  6. to give serious and careful thought to

    "turned the question every which way but could find no answer"

    similar: chew over, cogitate, consider, contemplate, debate, deliberate, entertain, eye, kick around, meditate, mull (over), perpend, ponder, pore (over), question, revolve, ruminate, study, think (about or over), weigh, wrestle (with), beat one's brains out (about), chew on, cudgel one's brains (about), look at
    related: muse (upon), reflect (on or upon), reminisce, analyze, explore, review, conclude, reason, second-guess, speculate (about), brood (about or over), dwell (on or upon), fixate (on or upon), fret (about or over), obsess (about or over), believe, conceive, opine, absorb, assimilate, digest, drink (in)
    near: disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, dismiss, pooh-pooh, reject

  7. to be determined by, based on, or subject (to)

    "what we do next turns on your answer to the following question"

    similar: depend, hang, hinge, ride
    related: base, establish, found, rest, stay, ground

  8. to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around

    "all the new information made his head turn"

    similar: reel, spin, swim, whirl
    related: swirl
    near: calm, collect, settle, steady

  9. to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge

    "he did his best to turn his new friends against his ex-wife"

    similar: bias, poison, prejudice
    related: dispose, incline, predispose, influence, prepossess, convince, persuade, suggest

Related Entry: Turn (on) (verb)

Turn (on) is a different word from Blind. The synonyms below are for turn (on), not for blind.

  1. to take sudden, violent action against

    "it is dangerous to keep tigers as house pets, as they often turn on their masters without warning"

    similar: assail, assault, attack, beset, bushwhack, charge, descend (on or upon), go in (on), jump (on), pounce (on or upon), raid, rush, set on, sic, storm, strike, trash, beat up on, fly at, go at, light into, pitch into, round on, set at, set upon, tear into
    related: bum-rush, gang up (on), mob, swarm, mug, rob, ambuscade, ambush, surprise, waylay, blitz, bomb, bombard, nuke, barrage, cannon, cannonade, bang away (at), batter, buffet, plaster, beleaguer, besiege, press, harry, loot, pillage, plunder, ravage, sack, foray, invade, overrun, envelop, flank
    near: cover, defend, guard, protect, secure, shield

Related Entry: Turn (to) (verb)

Turn (to) is a different word from Blind. The synonyms below are for turn (to), not for blind.

  1. to use or seek out as a source of aid, relief, or advantage

    "no need to turn to violence when we can talk things out peacefully"

    similar: consult, go (to), refer (to), resort (to), fall back on
    related: employ, use, utilize, depend (on), rely (on)

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Blind

The most common words with a similar meaning to Blind:

Slang: blasted, blitzed, blotto, canned, hammered, juiced, loaded, oiled, potted, ripped, sloshed, smashed
Chiefly British: tiddly
eyeless, sightless, stone-blind, visionless, besotted, bombed, boozy, cockeyed, crocked, drunk, drunken, fried, gassed, high, impaired, inebriate, inebriated, intoxicated, lit, lit up, looped, pickled, pie-eyed, plastered, sottish, soused, sozzled, squiffed, stewed, stiff, stoned, tight, tipsy, wet, in one's cups, three sheets in the wind, under the influence, under the weather, bedazzle, daze

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Blind

Words with the opposite meaning of Blind:

sighted, sober, straight

Related Words for Blind

blinded, blindfold, blindfolded, unsighted, gravel-blind, purblind, maudlin, beery, befuddled, bleary-eyed, crapulous, dopey, rocky, strung out, stupefied, debauched, dissipated, dissolute, alcoholic, bibulous, dipsomaniacal, confuse, overpower, overwhelm, stun

Near Antonyms of Blind

observant, observing, seeing, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, gimlet-eyed, lynx-eyed, sharp-eyed, sharp-sighted, abstemious, abstinent, dry, temperate, teetotal, clearheaded, cool, level, steady

Word Forms of Blind

Inflections: blinder, blindest, blinded, blinding, blinds

Derived words: blindly (adverb), blindness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Blind

Middle English blind, blend, going back to Old English blind, going back to Germanic *blinda- (whence also Old Frisian & Old Saxon blind "blind, sightless," Old High German blint, Old Icelandic blindr, Gothic blinds), adjective derivative from the dialectal Indo-European verbal base *bhlendh- "become murky or cloudy, see poorly" blend:1

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Blind

Words & Phrases Containing Blind

blind alley, blind as a bat, blind bag, blind box, blind carbon copy, blind date

Frequently Asked Questions about Blind

What does "Blind" mean?

"Blind" means lacking or deficient in sight; specifically, having less than ⅒ of normal vision in the more efficient eye when refractive defects are fully corrected by lenses. As an an adjective, a verb, a noun and an adverb, it is defined as: lacking or deficient in sight; specifically, having less than ⅒ of normal vision in the more efficient eye when refractive defects are fully corrected by lenses. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Blind"?

Other words for "Blind" include eyeless, sightless, stone-blind, visionless, besotted, blasted, blitzed and blotto. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Blind" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Blind"?

There are 150 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Blind". Common alternatives include eyeless, sightless, stone-blind, visionless, besotted, blasted, blitzed, blotto, bombed and boozy.

What is a slang word for "Blind"?

Slang words for "Blind" include blasted, blitzed, blotto, canned, hammered and juiced.

What is the opposite of "Blind"?

Antonyms of "Blind" include sighted, sober and straight. Near antonyms include observant, observing, seeing and clear-eyed.

How do you use "Blind" in a sentence?

Examples of "Blind" in a sentence: "our old blind cat kept walking into walls and furniture"; "you'd have to be really blind to think that was a good idea"; "the bright lights in the TV studio momentarily blinded the quiz show contestants".

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

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

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

As a B2-level word, "Blind" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.