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Blessing

[bles-ing]

Example Sentences Origin

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noun

the act or words of a person who blesses.

a special favor, mercy, or benefit: the blessings of liberty.

a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness.

the invoking of God's favor upon a person: The son was denied his father's blessing.

praise; devotion; worship, especially grace said before a meal: The children took turns reciting the blessing.

EXPAND

approval or good wishes: The proposed law had the blessing of the governor.

COLLAPSE

Origin:
before 900; Middle English blessinge, -unge, Old English bletsung, bledsung. See bless, -ing¹

Synonyms
2. advantage, boon, gain, profit, bounty.

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Blessing is always a great word to know.

So is doohickey. Does it mean:

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.

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Example Sentences

IT can be a blessing and a burden to be the daughter of a literary luminary.

The new tool will be a bane to teaching, some professors say-but others see a blessing.

However, what is a blessing for the atmosphere turns out to be a curse for the oceans.

EXPAND

IT can be a blessing and a burden to be the daughter of a literary luminary.

The new tool will be a bane to teaching, some professors say-but others see a blessing.

However, what is a blessing for the atmosphere turns out to be a curse for the oceans.

So it was a mixed blessing being with them from a point of view of personal protection or danger.

The jet streams push weather across the globe, blessing some areas with abundant rain and desertifying less fortunate regions.

Before the family ate, we'd all hold hands and bow our heads while someone-usually my father, a pastor-said a blessing.

Some people view a swarm of bees settling on their property as a blessing.

Waving the haraigushi over my phone is part of the blessing ceremony.

The rapid turnaround time for those evaluations was a mixed blessing.

Such a gushing of money ought to be a blessing for this impoverished country.

Stardom has been a mixed blessing for clownfish themselves.

Indeed the evidence is here that a functional cognitive centre is something of an unexpected blessing.

The last book in a good sci-fi series is, for me, a mixed blessing.

And to be able to work with kids on a daily basis, truly a blessing.

Throughout its history, this has been a both blessing and a curse.

The students then offered it to the spirit pole on campus and asked for a special blessing.

Let them wait for the right wingers to give their blessing.

Automatic iris adjustment is buttery smooth, and motorized image adjustment is a blessing from the projector gods.

All you need is a clergy member to say a few words and bestow a blessing.

For biologists entering the burgeoning field of proteomics, that is proving a blessing and a curse.

Many rubbed their hands on my clothes and then on their face for what blessing a hajji might bring.

Research is a blessing and is necessary, but let us not exclude the other half.

But without consensus that cellphone radiation does pose a risk to users, there's no scientific blessing to the idea.

People in places where rain is usually praised as a blessing are now overwhelmed by its excess.

So yes, if a child can be gotten out of a family environment that is making them overeat, it could be a lifelong blessing.

Cloning could be a blessing for the infertile, who otherwise could not experience biological parenthood.

Too often, for example, natural resources turn out to be a curse rather than a blessing.

For a patient that need a drug as that this can signify nothing less then a blessing.

On the road, it's a special blessing to have a hot spot that fits in your pocket.

Official blessing cannot, however, guarantee a frictionless courtship.

The data do not support that view en toto and that is a blessing.

The blessing of the monsoon always brings misery for some.

For global warming, though, gas is a mixed blessing.

Rachel you are a blessing from whatever culture you.

May his memory be for a blessing upon us and our works in this behalf.

Technological failure can be a blessing in disguise.

Whether this will prove a curse or a blessing is up.

On the way out of camp there was a pause for the traditional blessing.

And, of course, it would be a blessing for the clone itself.

May your memory always be a blessing to your beloved family.

We spoke often of how unlikely it was for our paths to ever have crossed, and what a blessing it is that they did.

Take your pet to church-to one of the world's largest cathedrals in fact-for the annual blessing of the animals at the.

Properly engineered aquaculture is a blessing for the wellbeing of people and the environment.

It is our hope that the memories you shared with her will be a blessing to your family.

Since my last name is complicated, has lots of vowels and usually comes with a pronunciation guide, this is a mixed blessing.

However, the unusual phenomenon may be a blessing in disguise.

It's a blessing and a curse to the historical profession to have these divergent populations of potential readers.

As they enter, these pilgrims stoop to take a blessing from the floor.

The new iPhone app is a blessing to travelers looking to get a bead on a destination's homespun wares.

Just having a green space within a city is a blessing for those of us who have been born in cities.

Apple is expected to launch a cloud-storage service with the labels' blessing perhaps as early as next.

It is not a blessing to you, and now it seems you have also tied an anchor around whoever was trying to help you by cosigning.

In recent weeks, a number of sheikhs from the religious establishment have given their blessing to protesters.

When it comes to sky shows, sometimes a lunar blessing can be a meteor's curse.

Most of us however would not think to do this without the blessing of our primary care.

The game publisher gave its blessing to the project, allowing the developer to release the game without fear of legal reprisal.

Despite the expense, it's turned out to be a blessing because our introverted child does not seem ready for daycare yet.

For the private sector, too, inflation would be a mixed blessing.

It's your space agency people, you have to decide whether it's going to be a blessing or a curse.

Depending on what you're into, this is either a blessing or a curse.

For some countries the commodity boom has been a blessing.

The priest invited us to film a service in the local church especially for migrants, blessing them as they head northward.

Apple is expected to launch a cloud-storage service with the labels' blessing perhaps as early as next month.

Yu such a blessing to remember yua roots…i am with u in the mission.

Best of all, government agencies and watchdog groups have given their blessing to the company's latest product:.

Motorized image adjustment is a blessing from the projector gods.

The site says it's the only one in the world with the labels' blessing to do this.

COLLAPSE

Dictionary.com Unabridged

verb (used with object), blessed or blest, bless·ing.

to consecrate or sanctify by a religious rite; make or pronounce holy.

to request of God the bestowal of divine favor on: Bless this house.

to bestow good of any kind upon: a nation blessed with peace.

to extol as holy; glorify: Bless the name of the Lord.

to protect or guard from evil (usually used interjectionally): Bless you! Bless your innocent little heart!

EXPAND

to condemn or curse: I'll be blessed if I can see your reasoning. Bless me if it isn't my old friend!

to make the sign of the cross over or upon: The Pope blessed the multitude.

COLLAPSE

Origin:
before 950; Middle English blessen, Old English blētsian, blēdsian to consecrate, orig. with blood, earlier *blōdisōian (blōd blood + -isō- derivational suffix + -ian v. suffix)

Related forms

bless·er, noun

bless·ing·ly, adverb

out·bless, verb (used with object), -blessed or -blest, -bles·sing.

pre·bless, verb (used with object)

Synonyms
1. exalt, hallow, glorify, magnify, beatify.

Link To Blessing

Collins

World English Dictionary

blessing (ˈblɛsɪŋ)

—n
1.	the act of invoking divine protection or aid
2.	the words or ceremony used for this
3.	a short prayer of thanksgiving before or after a meal; grace
4.	Judaism brachah, Also called: brocho
	a. a short prayer prescribed for a specific occasion and beginning "Blessed art thou, O Lord…"
	b. a section of the liturgy including a similar formula
5.	approval; good wishes: her father gave his blessing to the marriage
6.	the bestowal of a divine gift or favour
7.	a happy event or state of affairs: a blessing in disguise

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

bless

O.E. bletsian, bledsian, Northumbrian bloedsian "to consecrate, make holy, give thanks," from P.Gmc. *blothisojan "mark with blood," from *blotham "blood" (see blood). Originally a blood sprinkling on pagan altars. This word was chosen in O.E. bibles to translate L. benedicere

EXPAND

and Gk. eulogein, both of which have a ground sense of "to speak well of, to praise," but were used in Scripture to translate Heb. brk "to bend (the knee), worship, praise, invoke blessings." Meaning shifted in late O.E. toward "pronounce or make happy," by resemblance to unrelated bliss. No cognates in other languages.

blessing

O.E. bletsunga, bledsunge; see bless. Meaning "gift from God" is from mid-14c. In sense of "religious invocation before a meal" it is recorded from 1738. Phrase blessing in disguise is recorded from 1746.

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

blessing

In addition to the idiom beginning with blessing, also see give thanks for small blessings; mixed blessing.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia

blessing

a verbal blessing of persons or things, commonly applied to invocations pronounced in God's name by a priest or minister, usually at the conclusion of a religious service. The Aaronic benediction (Num. 6:24-26) was incorporated by Luther into his German Mass and is preserved by modern Lutherans because of its impressive dignity; it is also used in the Mozarabic liturgy of Spain before the reception of the Host. The Swedish liturgy appends a trinitarian formula to this same benediction. Some Christian churches, however, prefer the Pauline benediction (II Cor. 13:14).

Learn more about blessing with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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