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blink
[blingk]
verb (used without object)
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 byat ).
She blinked at his sudden fury.
to look evasively or with indifference; ignore (often followed byat ).
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.
verb (used with object)
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.
Synonyms: , , ,
noun
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.
Synonyms: , , ,a gleam; glimmer.
There was not a blink of light anywhere.
Chiefly Scot.a glance or glimpse.
Meteorology.
blink
/ ɪŋ /
verb
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)
to be surprised or amazed
he blinked at the splendour of the ceremony
to pretend not to know or see (a fault, injustice, etc)
noun
the act or an instance of blinking
a glance; glimpse
short for iceblink
slangnot working properly
51Թ History and Origins
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of blink1
Idioms and Phrases
on the blink, not in proper working order; in need of repair.
The washing machine is on the blink again.
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Tucked underneath a bush of sprawling, heart-shaped leaves would be yellow squash blossoms that blessed us with fresh squash in the blink of an eye.
"This is our time. This is our moment. We will not shirk, we will not flinch, we will not blink. We will win, just as those who came before us did."
In the spirit of schadenfreude, I’d have happily watched a whole additional hour of this Chuck-driven armageddon where, as his body collapses, the stars in the sky blink out one by one.
The film turns 30 next year, after all; no one would’ve blinked at a winking callback, a recreated timpano moment, even just a nostalgic insert shot.
What happens to the historic series after that matchup may come down to who blinks in a high-stakes game of chicken between the two schools.
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When To Use
To blink is to open and close the eyes rapidly, usually involuntarily. A blink is the act of blinking.To blink is also to shine unsteadily, as a light that is about to die might.In a figurative sense, to blink means to be startled or dismayed, as in Carter blinked at all the money his business partner spent on traveling.To blink can also mean to ignore or avoid something, as in Society will blink at rude behavior if the person being rude is powerful enough.Example: Blink your eyes when you see the light flash.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from 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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