Standard Lemma guide

bless

intj · name · verb · 17 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • blĕs
  • /blɛs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛs
  • CMU ARPABET: B L EH1 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

intj

Meaning 1

Used as an expression of endearment, gratitude, or (ironically) belittlement.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, UK, informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

name

Meaning 2

A surname from German.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To make something holy by religious rite, sanctify.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To invoke divine favor upon.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • In some countries, priests bless farm animals on St. Anthony's Day.
  • In many families, a grace is said before dinner to give thanks for and bless the food.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To honor as holy, glorify; to extol for excellence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To esteem or account happy; to felicitate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To make the sign of the cross upon, so as to sanctify.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To wave; to brandish.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To turn (a reference) into an object.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Qualifier: Perl programming; past tense only blessed; Perl programming; past tense only blessed

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To secure, defend, or prevent from.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To give or send.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

Examples

  • Could you bless me the link for the original post?
  • I'm actually marved right now, can you bless me some cash?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To approve of or assent to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • After those modifications, the Board blessed the reorganization plan.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To perform the mano gesture; taking of an elder's hand to press it to one's forehead or kiss it (as a sign of respect)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Philippines

Examples

  • You should bless your relatives, because they arrived here already.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

give a benediction to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The dying man blessed his son

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: curse

Broader terms: raise, conjure, conjure up, invoke, evoke, stir, call down, arouse, bring up, put forward, call forth

Narrower terms: anoint, inunct, oil, anele, embrocate

15

verb

Meaning 15

render holy by means of religious rites

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: consecrate, hallow, sanctify

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: declare

Narrower terms: reconsecrate

16

verb

Meaning 16

make the sign of the cross over someone in order to call on God for protection; consecrate

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sign

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gesticulate, gesture, motion

17

verb

Meaning 17

confer prosperity or happiness on

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: confer, bestow

History

Etymology

An ellipsis for an expression such as bless your heart.

Borrowed from Swiss German Bless.

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.

Across languages

Translations

128 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: seën — confer blessing on
  • Albanian: bekoj — confer blessing on
  • Amharic: ባረከ (baräkä) — confer blessing on
  • Arabic: بَارَكَ (bāraka) — confer blessing on
  • Arabic: بارك (bārik) — confer blessing on
  • Aragonese: bendicir — confer blessing on
  • Armenian: օրհնել (ōrhnel) — confer blessing on
  • Asturian: bendicir — confer blessing on
  • Basque: bedeinkatu — confer blessing on
  • Belarusian: бласлаўля́ць (blaslawljácʹ) — confer blessing on
  • Belarusian: благаславі́ць (blahaslavícʹ) — confer blessing on
  • Bulgarian: благосла́вям (blagoslávjam) — confer blessing on
  • Bulgarian: благословя́ (blagoslovjá) — confer blessing on
  • Catalan: beneir — confer blessing on
  • Chinese Mandarin: 保佑 (bǎoyòu) — confer blessing on
  • Chinese Mandarin: 佑 (yòu) — confer blessing on
  • Chinese Mandarin: 福 (fú) — confer blessing on
  • Chinese Mandarin: 祝福 (zhùfú) — confer blessing on
  • Czech: žehnat — confer blessing on
  • Czech: požehnat — confer blessing on
  • Danish: velsigne — confer blessing on
  • Danish: signe — confer blessing on
  • Dutch: zegenen — confer blessing on
  • Elfdalian: welsingen — confer blessing on
  • Esperanto: beni — confer blessing on
  • Estonian: õnnistama — confer blessing on
  • Faroese: vælsigna — confer blessing on
  • Faroese: signa — confer blessing on
  • Finnish: siunata — confer blessing on
  • French: bénir — confer blessing on
  • Old French: beneïr — confer blessing on
  • Friulian: benedî — confer blessing on
  • Friulian: binidî — confer blessing on
  • Galician: bendicir — confer blessing on
  • Georgian: ლოცვა (locva) — confer blessing on
  • German: segnen — confer blessing on
  • German: benedeien — confer blessing on
  • Gothic: 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (þiuþjan) — confer blessing on
  • Gothic: 𐌰𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (audagjan) — confer blessing on
  • Greek: ευλογώ (evlogó) — confer blessing on
  • Ancient Greek: εὐλογέω (eulogéō) — confer blessing on
  • Ancient Greek: μακαρίζω (makarízō) — confer blessing on
  • Greenlandic: pilluaqquaa — confer blessing on
  • Haitian Creole: beni — confer blessing on
  • Hebrew: בירך \ בֵּרֵךְ \ בֵּרַךְ (berákh) — confer blessing on
  • Hungarian: megáld — confer blessing on
  • Icelandic: blessa — confer blessing on
  • Ido: benedikar — confer blessing on
  • Indonesian: berkat — confer blessing on
  • Ingrian: siunata — confer blessing on
  • Ingrian: slaavia — confer blessing on
  • Italian: benedire — confer blessing on
  • Japanese: 恵む (megumu) — confer blessing on
  • Japanese: 祝福する (shukufuku suru) — confer blessing on
  • Kabuverdianu: abensua — confer blessing on
  • Kabuverdianu: abênsua — confer blessing on
  • Kabuverdianu: bensuá — confer blessing on
  • Kazakh: жарылқау (jarylqau) — confer blessing on
  • Khmer: ប្រទានពរ (brâtéanpôr) — confer blessing on
  • Komi-Zyrian: бурсины (burśiny) — confer blessing on
  • Korean: 축복하다 (chukbokhada) — confer blessing on
  • Latin: benedīcō — confer blessing on
  • Latvian: svētīt — confer blessing on
  • Luxembourgish: seenen — confer blessing on
  • Macedonian: благословува (blagoslovuva) — confer blessing on
  • Macedonian: благослови (blagoslovi) — confer blessing on
  • Malayalam: അനുഗ്രഹിക്കുക (anugrahikkuka) — confer blessing on
  • Malayalam: ആശീർവദിക്കുക (āśīṟvadikkuka) — confer blessing on
  • Maltese: bierek — confer blessing on
  • Māori: karakia — confer blessing on
  • Māori: whakamānawa — confer blessing on
  • Māori: whakapai — confer blessing on
  • Eastern Mari: саеш пӱраш (saješ püraš) — confer blessing on
  • Eastern Mari: сугыньлаш (sugyńlaš) — confer blessing on
  • Western Mari: согоньым пуаш (sogońym puaš) — confer blessing on
  • Middle English: blessen — confer blessing on
  • Mongolian: адислах (adislax) — confer blessing on
  • Mongolian: өршөөх (öršööx) — confer blessing on
  • Norman: béni — confer blessing on
  • Norwegian: velsigne — confer blessing on
  • Norwegian: signa — confer blessing on
  • Norwegian: blessa — confer blessing on
  • Persian: برکت دادن (barekat dâdan) — confer blessing on
  • Polish: błogosławić — confer blessing on
  • Portuguese: abençoar — confer blessing on
  • Portuguese: bendizer — confer blessing on
  • Portuguese: benzer — confer blessing on
  • Quechua: ch'allay — confer blessing on
  • Romanian: binecuvânta — confer blessing on
  • Romanian: blagoslovi — confer blessing on
  • Romansh: benedir — confer blessing on
  • Romansh: banadir — confer blessing on
  • Romansh: banadeir — confer blessing on
  • Russian: благословля́ть (blagoslovljátʹ) — confer blessing on
  • Russian: благослови́ть (blagoslovítʹ) — confer blessing on
  • Northern Sami: buressivdnidit — confer blessing on
  • Serbo-Croatian: благосло̀вити — confer blessing on
  • Serbo-Croatian: blagoslòviti — confer blessing on
  • Sicilian: binidìciri — confer blessing on
  • Sicilian: a-binidìciri — confer blessing on
  • Slovak: žehnať — confer blessing on
  • Slovak: požehnať — confer blessing on
  • Slovene: blagosloviti — confer blessing on
  • Upper Sorbian: žohnować — confer blessing on
  • Upper Sorbian: požohnować — confer blessing on
  • Spanish: bendecir — confer blessing on
  • Sranan Tongo: blesi — confer blessing on
  • Sranan Tongo: bresi — confer blessing on
  • Sranan Tongo: seigi — confer blessing on
  • Swedish: välsigna — confer blessing on
  • Telugu: దీవించు (dīviñcu) — confer blessing on
  • Thai: อวยพร (uai-pɔɔn) — confer blessing on
  • Tigrinya: ባረኸ (baräxä) — confer blessing on
  • Turkish: kutsamak — confer blessing on
  • Turkish: takdis etmek — confer blessing on
  • Udmurt: козманы (kozmany) — confer blessing on
  • Ukrainian: благословля́ти (blahoslovljáty) — confer blessing on
  • Ukrainian: благослови́ти (blahoslovýty) — confer blessing on
  • Uzbek: alqamoq — confer blessing on
  • Venetan: benedir — confer blessing on
  • Vietnamese: chúc phúc — confer blessing on
  • Vietnamese: giáng phúc — confer blessing on
  • Vietnamese: ban phúc — confer blessing on
  • Welsh: bendithio — confer blessing on
  • Zazaki: teqdis kerden — confer blessing on
  • Zazaki: mıbarek kerden — confer blessing on
  • Māori: whakamānawa — To honour as holy, glorify; to extol for excellence.
  • Middle English: blessen — To honour as holy, glorify; to extol for excellence.
Real reading context

bless in complete knowledge articles