Standard Lemma guide

blindly

adv · 4 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.

  • /ˈblaɪndli/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪndli
  • CMU ARPABET: B L AY1 N D L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a blind manner; without sight.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I stumbled blindly through the forest, branches whipping at my face.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: eyelessly, sightlessly

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Without consideration or question.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1940 March 19, Albert Einstein, letter to Morris Raphael Cohen The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unthinkingly

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

without preparation or reflection; without a rational basis

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they bought the car blindly
  • he picked a wife blindly

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adverb

Meaning 4

without seeing or looking

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he felt around his desk blindly

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English blindly, blyndly, from Old English blindlīċe (“in a blind manner; blindly; rashly”), equivalent to blind + -ly. Cognate with Swedish blindligt (“blindly”), Icelandic blindlega (“blindly”). Compare also West Frisian blindich (“blindly”), Dutch blindelings (“blindly”), German blindlings (“blindly”).

Across languages

Translations

55 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: a ciegues — sightlessly
  • Asturian: ciegamente — sightlessly
  • Belarusian: навобмацак (navóbmacak) — sightlessly
  • Bengali: অন্ধভাবে (ondhobhabe) — sightlessly
  • Catalan: cegament — sightlessly
  • Catalan: a cegues — sightlessly
  • Dutch: blind — sightlessly
  • Dutch: blindweg — sightlessly
  • Dutch: blindelings — sightlessly
  • Esperanto: blinde — sightlessly
  • Finnish: sokeasti — sightlessly
  • French: à l’aveuglette — sightlessly
  • Galician: ás cegas — sightlessly
  • Galician: ás apalpadas — sightlessly
  • Galician: ao tento — sightlessly
  • Hungarian: vakon — sightlessly
  • Italian: alla cieca — sightlessly
  • Italian: a tentoni — sightlessly
  • Italian: a casaccio — sightlessly
  • Luxembourgish: blannemännches — sightlessly
  • Māori: matapōkere — sightlessly
  • Polish: na oślep — sightlessly
  • Polish: po omacku — sightlessly
  • Portuguese: cegamente — sightlessly
  • Romanian: orbește — sightlessly
  • Russian: слепо (slepo) — sightlessly
  • Russian: на ощупь (na oščupʹ) — sightlessly
  • Spanish: ciegamente — sightlessly
  • Spanish: a ciegas — sightlessly
  • Spanish: a tientas — sightlessly
  • Spanish: a tiento — sightlessly
  • Swedish: blint — sightlessly
  • Swedish: i blindo — sightlessly
  • Telugu: గుడ్డిగా (guḍḍigā) — sightlessly
  • Asturian: a ciegues — without consideration or question
  • Asturian: ciegamente — without consideration or question
  • Bengali: অন্ধভাবে (ondhobhabe) — without consideration or question
  • Catalan: cegament — without consideration or question
  • Catalan: a cegues — without consideration or question
  • Dutch: blind — without consideration or question
  • Dutch: blindweg — without consideration or question
  • Dutch: blindelings — without consideration or question
  • Finnish: sokeasti — without consideration or question
  • Galician: cegamente — without consideration or question
  • Galician: ás cegas — without consideration or question
  • Hungarian: vakon — without consideration or question
  • Italian: alla leggera — without consideration or question
  • Polish: po omacku — without consideration or question
  • Portuguese: cegamente — without consideration or question
  • Romanian: orbește — without consideration or question
  • Romanian: necugetat — without consideration or question
  • Russian: безрассудно (bezrassudno) — without consideration or question
  • Spanish: ciegamente — without consideration or question
  • Spanish: a ciegas — without consideration or question
  • Turkish: körü körüne — without consideration or question