blink
to close and reopen the eyes, especially involuntarily: Every time I blink, it makes the cut on my eyelid hurt.
to look with half-shut eyes or rapidly closing and opening eyes: I blinked at the harsh morning light.
to be startled, surprised, or dismayed (usually followed by at): She blinked at his sudden fury.
to look evasively or with indifference; ignore (often followed by at): to blink at another's eccentricities.
to shine unsteadily, dimly, or intermittently; twinkle; flicker: The light on the buoy blinked in the distance.
to yield or back down from a confrontation: All eyes are on the two nations' standoff, waiting to see who blinks.
to close and reopen (the eye or eyes), usually rapidly, repeatedly, or involuntarily; She blinked her eyes in an effort to wake up.
to cause (something) to twinkle or shine intermittently: We blinked the flashlight frantically, but there was no response.
Rare. to ignore deliberately; evade; shirk: Although deaths continue to rise, the authorities have blinked the problem.
an act or instance of closing and reopening the eyes, especially repeatedly or involuntarily: She claimed not to be startled, but her blink betrayed her.
the act or condition of flickering, twinkling, or shining intermittently: The faithful blink of the lighthouse comforted the crew.
Idioms about blink
on the blink, not in proper working order; in need of repair: The washing machine is on the blink again.
Origin of blink
1synonym study For blink
Other words for blink
Words Nearby blink
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use blink in a sentence
It might be from watching your portfolio this year whipsaw from precipitous lows to glorious highs in what seemed like a blink.
From Bitcoin to Asian tech stocks, these are the biggest winners and losers of the 2020 global markets | Bernhard Warner | January 1, 2021 | FortuneThe economic and social impact of the global pandemic has forced shopping habits to change in the blink of an eye.
Technology saving retail businesses from going under | Sponsored Content: Lightspeed | December 23, 2020 | Search Engine LandIn the blink of an eye, there’s all this innovation—from 2017, when I first took a look at this and couldn’t have imagined how it was possible, to now, where there’s this huge positive movement.
Inside Singapore’s huge bet on vertical farming | Katie McLean | October 13, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewLegend held that the blink came from the lantern of an ill-fated mother searching for her son.
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that things can change dramatically, in the blink of an eye.
Can the Dow’s Big Tech makeover finally push the blue chip index above 30,000? | Bernhard Warner | August 25, 2020 | Fortune
Now it can happen in the blink of an eye—just look at former House majority leader Eric Cantor.
He was unable to speak, and the woman asked him to blink once for yes, twice for no in reply to some questions.
In the blink of an eye, the hipster has turned into a catch-all scapegoat, guilty for everything from expensive beer to bad music.
Technology that stealthily decimates in the blink of an eye, that is what is what Israel needs in the Twenty-First Century.
Efron, in a blink, went from shy concealment to peacock-ish display.
I had to blink hard two or three times before I could really make up my mind that the tip-toer was Maisie Ann.
The Wreckers | Francis LyndeThen, in the blink of an eye, Arcot was floating in the air before him.
Islands of Space | John W CampbellStevens' eyes blinked, and in that blink Ben charged, and as he moved, Murray and Tholfsen followed.
The Onslaught from Rigel | Fletcher PrattAnd it is this same white water which gives rise to the phenomenon above referred to, locally known as “Bank blink.”
A Middy of the King | Harry CollingwoodBehind it was a continuous ice-blink and on our left, to the north, a deep blue "water sky."
The Home of the Blizzard | Douglas Mawson
British Dictionary definitions for blink
/ (blɪŋk) /
to close and immediately reopen (the eyes or an eye), usually involuntarily
(intr) to look with the eyes partially closed, as in strong sunlight
to shine intermittently, as in signalling, or unsteadily
(tr ; foll by away, from , etc) to clear the eyes of (dust, tears, etc)
(when tr , usually foll by at) to be surprised or amazed: he blinked at the splendour of the ceremony
(when intr , foll by at) to pretend not to know or see (a fault, injustice, etc)
the act or an instance of blinking
a glance; glimpse
short for iceblink (def. 1)
on the blink slang not working properly
Origin of blink
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with blink
see on the blink.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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