Blink — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈbliŋk/

Meaning & Definition of Blink

Blink (verb)

  1. to close and open the eyes involuntarily
  2. to look with half-shut eyes
  3. to look glancingly, peep

Blink (noun)

  1. glimpse, glance
  2. glimmer, sparkle
  3. a usually involuntary shutting and opening of the eye

Blink (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to shine with light at regular intervals

    "she loves to sit in the dark and watch the lights on the Christmas tree blink in ever-changing patterns"

    similar: flash, twinkle, wink
    related: coruscate, flare, flicker, glance, glimmer, glint, glisten, glister, glitter, scintillate, shimmer, spangle, spark, sparkle

  2. to rapidly open and close one's eyes

    "I blinked for a few seconds after the camera flashed"

    similar: wink
    related: bat, flutter, squint

  3. to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control)

    "for two days the nations stood on the brink of war, until one finally blinked"

    similar: bow, budge, capitulate, concede, give in, knuckle under, quit, relent, submit, succumb, surrender, yield, say uncle, throw in the towel
    related: acquiesce, defer
    opposite: resist
    near: contend, fight, hold off, battle, breast, combat, confront, counter, defy, face, meet, object, oppose, repel, thwart, withstand

  4. to look long and hard in wonder or surprise

    "stood blinking at the ridiculous scene before him in utter disbelief"

    similar: gape, gawk, gawp (chiefly British), gaze, goggle, peer, rubberneck, stare
    related: glare, gloat, glower, consider, eye, fixate, observe, regard, watch, leer, ogle, peruse, pore (over), study, outface, outstare, stare down
    near: glance, glimpse, peek, peep, browse, dip (into), scan, wink (at)

Blink (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in sparkle, flicker

    similar: flicker, sparkle, twinkle, glare, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glow, shimmer, illumination, irradiation, burnish, gloss, luminance, luster, polish, sheen, shine, iridescence, luminescence, brilliance, luminosity, radiance, radiancy, refulgence, finish, glaze
    opposite: dimness, dinginess, dirtiness, drabness, dullness, flatness, grayness, paleness, cloudiness, gloom, murkiness, obscureness, obscurity, somberness

Related Entry: Blink (at) (verb)

Blink (at) is a different word from Blink. The synonyms below are for blink (at), not for blink.

  1. to dismiss as of little importance

    "the firm conviction that we should never blink at any instances of plagiarism, whether in academia or in commercial publishing"

    similar: brush (aside or off), condone, discount, disregard, excuse, forgive, gloss (over), gloze (over), ignore, overlook, overpass, paper over, pardon, pass over, remit, shrug off, whitewash, wink (at), close one's eyes to, forgive and forget
    related: explain, justify, rationalize, absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, exonerate, vindicate, waive, wave (aside or off)
    near: heed, mark, mind, note, object (to)

Related Entry: On the blink (phrase)

On the blink is a different word from Blink. The synonyms below are for on the blink, not for blink.

  1. not being in working order

    "The printer is on the blink again."

    similar: down, inoperable, inoperative, kaput, malfunctioning, nonfunctional, nonfunctioning, nonoperating, on the fritz, out of commission
    related: broken, off, deactivated, deadlocked, ineffective, ineffectual, nonproductive, unproductive, unusable, unworkable, useless
    opposite: functional, functioning, operable, operant, operating, operational, operative, running, working
    near: effective, effectual, employable, performing, producing, productive, serving, usable, useful, viable, workable

  2. having a fault

    "The first one they sent was on the blink from the moment it arrived, so we had to order another."

    similar: amiss, bad, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect
    related: fallible, blemished, broken, crippled, damaged, defaced, disfigured, harmed, hurt, impaired, injured, marred, spoiled, vitiated, deficient, inadequate, incomplete, insufficient, wanting
    opposite: faultless, flawless, impeccable, perfect
    near: complete, entire, intact, whole, unblemished, undamaged, unimpaired, unspoiled

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Blink

The most common words with a similar meaning to Blink:

Chiefly British: gawp
flash, twinkle, wink, bow, budge, capitulate, concede, give in, knuckle under, quit, relent, submit, succumb, surrender, yield, gape, gawk, gaze, goggle, peer, rubberneck, stare, say uncle, throw in the towel, flicker, sparkle, glare, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glow, shimmer, illumination, irradiation, burnish, gloss, luminance, luster, polish

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Blink

Words with the opposite meaning of Blink:

resist, dimness, dinginess, dirtiness, drabness, dullness, flatness, grayness, paleness, cloudiness, gloom, murkiness, obscureness, obscurity, somberness

Related Words for Blink

coruscate, flare, glance, glister, glitter, scintillate, spangle, spark, bat, flutter, squint, acquiesce, defer, gloat, glower, consider, eye, fixate, observe, regard, watch, leer, ogle, peruse, pore (over), study, outface, outstare, stare down

Near Antonyms of Blink

contend, fight, hold off, battle, breast, combat, confront, counter, defy, face, meet, object, oppose, repel, thwart, withstand, glance, glimpse, peek, peep, browse, dip (into), scan, wink (at)

Word Forms of Blink

Inflections: blinked, blinking, blinks

Origin & Etymology of Blink

variant of blenk, going back to Middle English blenken "to shine, gleam, turn pale" and "to move suddenly or sharply, change direction, evade, mislead," perhaps going back to Germanic *blinkan-, nasal present based on pre-Germanic *blei̯k-, the base of *blīkan- "to shine" (or, alternatively, if *blenk- is primary, a derivative from the base of *blanka- "bright, white, without color") bleach:1, blank:1

First known use: 1592i

Words & Phrases Containing Blink

blink back tears, in the blink of an eye, on the blink, before one can blink, not (even) blink

Frequently Asked Questions about Blink

What does "Blink" mean?

"Blink" means to close and open the eyes involuntarily. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to close and open the eyes involuntarily. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Blink"?

Other words for "Blink" include flash, twinkle, wink, bow, budge, capitulate, concede and give in. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Blink" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Blink"?

There are 81 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Blink". Common alternatives include flash, twinkle, wink, bow, budge, capitulate, concede, give in, knuckle under and quit.

What is the opposite of "Blink"?

Antonyms of "Blink" include resist, dimness, dinginess, dirtiness, drabness, dullness, flatness and grayness. Near antonyms include contend, fight, hold off and battle.

How do you use "Blink" in a sentence?

Examples of "Blink" in a sentence: "she loves to sit in the dark and watch the lights on the Christmas tree blink in ever-changing patterns"; "I blinked for a few seconds after the camera flashed"; "for two days the nations stood on the brink of war, until one finally blinked".

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

"Blink" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Blink"?

"Blink" is pronounced /ˈbliŋk/.

What is the origin of the word "Blink"?

"Blink" comes from variant of blenk, going back to Middle English blenken "to shine, gleam, turn pale" and "to move suddenly or sharply, change direction, evade, mislead," perhaps going back to Germanic *blinkan-, nasal present based on pre-Germanic *blei̯k-, the base of *blīkan- "to shine" (or, alternatively, if *blenk- is primary, a derivative from the base of *blanka- "bright, white, without color") bleach:1, blank:1. First known use: 1592i.