English Explanatory Dictionary

blithe

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Casually careless or indifferent; showing a lack of concern; nonchalant.
  2. Cheerful, happy.
  3. Fair, beautiful, comely.
name
  1. A river in Staffordshire, England, which joins the River Trent.

Pronunciation

/blaɪð/ /blaɪθ/ En-uk-blithe.ogg En-us-blithe.ogg

Word forms

blithe blither blithest blythe

Etymology

From Middle English blithe (“glad, happy, joyful; causing joy, joyous; gentle, mild; gracious, merciful; bright, shining; beautiful, fair”) [and other forms], from Old English blīþe (“happy, gentle”), from Proto-West Germanic *blīþī, from Proto-Germanic *blīþiz (“friendly; gentle, mild; pleasing”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlī- (“fine; light; pleasant”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“shiny; white”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian bliede (“glad, cheerful, merry”), West Frisian bliid (“cheerful, glad”), Dutch blij (“happy”), German Low German blied (“happy, lucky”).

Related words

bliss

Derived words

blitheful blitheless blithely blithen blitheness blither blithesome Blythe overblithe unblithe Blythe Bridge
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