English Explanatory Dictionary

blur

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To make indistinct or hazy, to obscure or dim.
  2. To smear, stain or smudge.
  3. To become indistinct.
  4. To cause imperfection of vision in; to dim; to darken.
  5. To sully; to stain; to blemish, as reputation.
  6. To transfer the input focus away from.
  7. To use a sign, image, expression, etc. sufficiently close to a trademarked one that it causes confusion between them.
noun
  1. A smear, smudge or blot.
  2. Something that appears hazy or indistinct.
  3. Haziness, blurriness.
  4. A moral stain or blot.
adj
  1. Lacking awareness; clueless or confused.

Pronunciation

/ˈblɜː/ /blɝ/ en-us-blur.ogg /blʌɾ/ /bløː/ /bleː/ /blɛː/

Word forms

blur blurs blurring blurred more blur most blur

Etymology

From earlier blurre, probably an alteration of blear, from Middle English bleren, from Old English *blerian (attested in āblered (“made bare, made bald”)), from Proto-West Germanic *blaʀjan, from Proto-Germanic *blazjaną (“to make pale”), from Proto-Germanic *blasaz (“pale”). Compare Scots blore, bloar (“to blur, cover with blots”), Low German bleeroged (“blear-eyed”). More at blear.

Synonyms

fuzz pixelate smooth besmear blot tarnish assoil beclart bedaub bedirty imbrue (especially with blood) bedizen befile befilth befoul begrime beray beshit besmirch besully bewray blacken blur clat contaminate darken defile dirten dirty elt file foil foul gunk gunk up inquinate scunge sling mud slotter slur smear smirch smudge smut smutch soil soss sowl spot stain sullow sully uggle blemish libel slander assassinate asperse backbite badmouth

Antonyms

sharpen

Derived words

ablur beblur blurrable blurrer blurringly blur the line blur the lines deblur nonblurring unblur anti-blur blurless blurry Blursday motion blur zoom blur
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