Meaning & use
blind
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Unable to see, either completely or to a significant degree.
Grammar: Not usually used with 'more' or 'most'; use 'partially blind' or 'completely blind' for degree.
Patterns
- be blind
- go blind
- blind from birth
She has been blind since birth and uses a guide dog.
The accident left him blind in one eye.
adjectivenot comparablefigurative
Unwilling or unable to notice or understand something; not aware of something important.
Grammar: Often followed by 'to': blind to the facts.
Patterns
- blind to something
- be blind to the truth
He was blind to the risks of the investment.
She is blind to her son's faults.
nouncountable
A screen or covering for a window that blocks or filters light, typically made of cloth or slats.
Grammar: Countable noun; plural is 'blinds'. Often used in plural for a set of window coverings.
Patterns
- pull down the blinds
- draw the blinds
- Venetian blinds
Please close the blinds; the sun is too bright.
The office has vertical blinds on all the windows.
Word forms
| comparative | blinder |
|---|---|
| superlative | blindest |
| plural | blinds |
Common combinations
- blind to
- He is blind to the dangers of his lifestyle.
- go blind
- Without treatment, he could go blind.
- Venetian blinds
- They installed Venetian blinds to control the light.
- blind spot
- Every driver has a blind spot in their field of vision.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sightless
- A more formal or literary word for being unable to see; less common in everyday speech.
- visually impaired
- A neutral, respectful term for partial or complete loss of vision, often preferred in official contexts.
Opposites
Word family
- blindness noun
- The condition of being blind.
- blindly adverb
- Without thinking or seeing; often used figuratively.
- blinding adjective
- Extremely bright; also informal for something excellent.
Commonly confused: blind or blond?
blind vs blond
Refers to light-colored hair, not lack of sight. 'Blind' and 'blond' sound somewhat similar but have unrelated meanings.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'blind' correctly to mean 'unaware of something'?
Choose one answer.
The correct preposition after 'blind' in this figurative sense is 'to': blind to something. The other prepositions do not fit this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “blind”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.