bless Meaning & Definition
What Does Bless Mean?
Bless is used as a verb meaning to hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word. It is also used to mean to hallow with the sign of the cross.
Word Facts for Bless
| Part of speech | verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbles/ |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | hallow, sign and sanctify |
| Antonyms | maledict, curse and damn |
| Verb forms | blesses, blessing, blest |
Bless Definition (Verb)
- to hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word
asked the priest to bless their marriage / Bless this home.
- to hallow with the sign of the cross
He blessed himself before liftoff.
- to invoke divine care for
bless your heart
- praise, glorify
bless his holy name
- to speak well of : approve
- to confer prosperity or happiness upon
God has blessed us with four children.
- protect, preserve
Bless me from marrying a usurer!
- endow, favor
blessed with athletic ability
Synonyms of Bless
Antonyms of Bless
Bless in a Sentence
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.
Could you bless me the link for the original post?
I'm actually marved right now, can you bless me some cash?
After those modifications, the Board blessed the reorganization plan.
You should bless your relatives, because they arrived here already.
asked the priest to bless their marriage
Bless this home.
He blessed himself before liftoff.
bless your heart
bless his holy name
God has blessed us with four children.
Bless me from marrying a usurer!
blessed with athletic ability
the priest blessed the water, thus allowing it to be used as holy water for various rites
bless the name of God
blessed with a knack for glib conversation
asked the priest to bless their marriage / Bless this home.
Word Forms & Grammar
blessed
blest
bless·ing
bless
blesses
blessing
bless (third-person singular simple present blesses, present participle blessing, simple past and past participle blest or blessed)
Words That Rhyme With Bless
Origin of Bless
Origin 1: Middle English, from Old English blētsian, from blōd blood; from the use of blood in consecration
Origin 2: 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.
Origin 3: An ellipsis for an expression such as bless your heart.
First Known Use
before 12th century
Bless Pronunciation
Bless is pronounced /ˈbles/ and has 1 syllable.
Common Questions About Bless
What part of speech is bless?
Bless is a verb.
What is another word for bless?
You can replace bless with words such as hallow, sign and sanctify. See the full list of bless synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of bless?
The opposite of bless can be expressed with words like maledict, curse, damn and beshrew.
What is the past tense of bless?
The past tense of bless is blest. The present participle is blessing.