bless
/blɛs/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.17 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To make something holy by religious rite, sanctify.
verb
To honor as holy, glorify; to extol for excellence.
verb
To esteem or account happy; to felicitate.
verb
To make the sign of the cross upon, so as to sanctify.
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "A Pſalme of Dauid. Bleſſe the Lord, O my ſoule: and all that is within me, bleſſe his holy Name."
- "And thou ſhalt ſweare, The Lord liueth, in Trueth, in Iudgement, and in Righteouſnes, and the nations ſhall bleſſe themſelues in him, and in him ſhall they glorie."
- "the archbishop vsing certeine praiers, blessed the king"
- "And burning blades about their heads do blesse."
Etymology
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
Word Breakdown
- Root: blessen, bletsian, *blōdisōn, *blōþą, *bʰleh₃-, Bless