What does "blink" mean?
The act of quickly closing both eyes and opening them again.
Blink
/blɪŋk/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of quickly closing both eyes and opening them again.
- Grammar: blink is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: eye blink, nictitate, wink, aha.
- Useful contrasts: calm, composure, continuous glow.
- Usage evidence: The police usually blink at cars parked here.
How to use "blink"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "blink" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "blink" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "blink" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "blink" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "blink" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "eye blink" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "blink", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of quickly closing both eyes and opening them again. countable, uncountable
- 2 A fan of the South Korean girl group Blackpink. slang
"The long-awaited solo from BLACKPINK's Jennie came along and was very well received by BLINKs everywhere."
- 3 Alternative letter-case form of Blink. alt-of
- 4 a reflex that closes and opens the eyes rapidly wordnet
- 5 The time needed to close and reopen one's eyes. countable, figuratively, uncountable
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 A text formatting feature that causes text to disappear and reappear as a form of visual emphasis. countable, uncountable
"I can think of no good reason to use blink because blinking text and images are annoying, they mark the creator as an amateur, and they have poor browser support."
- 7 A glimpse or glance. countable, uncountable
"This is the first blink that ever I had of him."
- 8 gleam; glimmer; sparkle UK, countable, dialectal, uncountable
"Not a blink of light was there."
- 9 The dazzling whiteness about the horizon caused by the reflection of light from fields of ice at sea; iceblink countable, uncountable
- 10 Boughs cast where deer are to pass, in order to turn or check them. countable, in-plural, uncountable
- 11 An ability that allows teleporting, mostly for short distances countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To close and reopen both eyes quickly. intransitive
"The loser in the staring game is the person who blinks first."
- 2 briefly shut the eyes wordnet
- 3 To close and reopen both eyes quickly.; To close and reopen one's eyes to remove (something) from on or around the eyes. intransitive, transitive
"She blinked her tears away."
- 4 keep back by blinking wordnet
- 5 To close and reopen both eyes quickly.; To wink; to twinkle with, or as with, the eye. intransitive
"One eye was blinking, and one leg was lame."
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 gleam or glow intermittently wordnet
- 7 To close and reopen both eyes quickly.; To see with the eyes half shut, or indistinctly and with frequent winking, as a person with weak eyes. intransitive
"Show me thy chink, to blink through with mine eyne."
- 8 To close and reopen both eyes quickly.; To shine, especially with intermittent light; to twinkle; to flicker; to glimmer, as a lamp. intransitive
"The dew was falling fast, the stars began to blink."
- 9 To close and reopen both eyes quickly.; To glance. Geordie, intransitive, obsolete
"Now exile is over, I'll fly to the north, The home of my childhood, the place of my birth; O the transports of gladness that over me reign, To blink upon canny Newcastle again!"
- 10 To flash on and off at regular intervals.
"The blinking text on the screen was distracting."
- 11 To flash on and off at regular intervals.; To flash headlights on a car at.
"An urban legend claims that gang members will attack anyone who blinks them."
- 12 To flash on and off at regular intervals.; To send a signal with a lighting device.
"Don't come to the door until I blink twice."
- 13 To perform the smallest action that could solicit a response. excessive
"All the waiters in your grand cafe / Leave their tables when you blink."
- 14 To have the slightest doubt, hesitation or remorse.
"The soldier shot the intruders without so much as blinking."
- 15 To shut out of sight; to evade; to shirk. transitive
"to blink the question"
- 16 To turn slightly sour, or blinky, as beer, milk, etc.
- 17 To teleport, mostly for short distances.
Example
"The police usually blink at cars parked here."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "blink"?
Common synonyms include: eye blink, nictitate, wink, aha, albedo, avoid.
How do you use "blink" in a sentence?
The police usually blink at cars parked here.
How do you pronounce "blink"?
Pronounced /blɪŋk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English blynken, blenken, from Old English *blincan (suggested by causative verb blenċan (“to deceive”); > English blench), from Proto-Germanic *blinkaną, a variant of *blīkaną (“to gleam, shine”). Cognate with Dutch blinken (“to glitter, shine”), German blinken (“to flash, blink”), Danish blinke (“to flash, twinkle, wink, blink”), Swedish blinka (“to flash, blink, twinkle, wink, blink”). Related to blank, blick, blike, bleak.
Etymology 2
From a contraction of the group's name, itself a compound of black + pink, seemingly chosen as a homophone of blink.