bless

BLES/blɛs/

12 meanings of bless

1
verbtransitive
To ask God to protect and care for someone.
Like asking someone powerful to watch over and help a person.
The priest will bless the congregation at the end of the service.
She asked the rabbi to bless her home before she moved in.
Oppositecurse
2
verbtransitive
To make a thing holy through a religious ceremony.
The priest will bless the water for the baptism.
Monks bless the bread during the morning service.
Similarconsecrate, sanctify, hallow
Oppositedesecrate
Note
3
verbtransitive
To agree to something or allow it to happen.
Like a boss giving a thumbs-up so the work can start.
The board finally blessed the new plan after months of talks.
Her parents had to bless the wedding before it could go ahead.
Similarapprove, endorse, sanction, authorize, okay
Oppositereject, veto
4
verbtransitive
To make the sign of the cross over a person or thing to make it holy.
Like marking something with a sign to show that it is holy.
The priest will bless the crowd by tracing a cross in the air.
She watched the bishop bless each child at the altar.
Note
5
verbtransitive
To praise someone as holy or as truly great.
Like cheering for someone you think is truly wonderful.
The crowds gathered to bless the saint's name.
Poets of the age would bless her beauty in their songs.
Similarpraise, glorify, exalt, extol
Oppositecurse
Note
6
verbtransitive
To think of someone as lucky and happy.
Like calling someone lucky because good things keep happening to them.
We bless the family that never knew such hardship.
People often bless those who live a long and peaceful life.
Oppositecurse
Note
7
interjectioncolloquialCanadaUK
A warm word said to show love, thanks, or gentle teasing.
Like saying "aww" when you see something sweet.
Bless, she's made you a little card all by herself.
He brought you flowers? Oh, bless.
Note
8
verbslangtransitive
To give something to someone, often as a gift.
Like handing a friend something nice just because you want to.
My uncle blessed me with a pair of new sneakers.
Can you bless me with a couple of those fries?
Note
9
verbPhilippinestransitive
To greet an older person by taking their hand and touching it to your forehead to show respect.
Like a special way of saying hello that shows you respect your elders.
Children bless their grandparents when they arrive for the fiesta.
She blessed her grandmother before sitting down at the table.
Note
10
verbtransitive
In some computer programming, to link a piece of data to a type so it works like an object.
Like putting a label on a box so the program knows what kind of thing is inside.
You bless the data into a class so the program treats it as an object.
The setup code blessed the reference into the right type.
Note

Less common meanings

11
verbarchaic
To keep someone safe from harm or danger.
Like a shield that keeps danger away from you.
May heaven bless us from the storms at sea.
Bless me from marrying a usurer.
c. 1610, William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”Here, bless means protect, asking to be kept safe from marrying a moneylender.
Note
12
verbobsolete
To wave or swing something around in the air.
And burning blades about their heads do blesse.
1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie QueeneHere, blesse means wave, so they swing burning swords around their heads.
Round his armed head his trenchant blade he blest.
1600, [Torquato Tasso], Godfrey of BulloigneHere, blest means waved, so he swung his sharp sword around his head.
Note

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–6, 8–12

From Old English bletsian, meaning to make holy with blood. The word is related to "bleed".

Meaning 7

A short form of a longer phrase like "bless your heart".