# blinking

Pronunciation: say "BLINK-ing" /ˈblɪŋkɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle of blink. — present participle and gerund of blink
   - Simple: Present participle of blink. Use this form for something happening right now.
   - _Blinking rapidly, he tried to clear the dust from his eyes._
   - _She noticed the cursor blinking on the otherwise empty screen._

## Adjective

2. Flashing on and off in quick succession, or opening and closing the eyes repeatedly.
   - Simple: Flashing on and off, or opening and closing the eyes quickly.
   - _A blinking red light warned drivers about the road work ahead._
   - _The dashboard was full of blinking indicators after the engine fault._
3. In British slang, a mild, polite substitute for "bloody," used to express irritation or to add emphasis. *(slang, UK)*
   - Simple: A softer, informal British word used instead of "bloody" to show you are annoyed.
   - _He couldn't get the blinking machine to start no matter what he tried._
   - _Mind your own blinking business and let me finish my tea._

## Noun

4. The action of opening and closing the eyes repeatedly, or of a light flashing on and off.
   - Simple: The action of opening and closing the eyes quickly.
   - _Excessive blinking can be a sign of stress or eye strain._
   - _The nervous blinking gave away just how anxious he really was._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/blinking (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).