Link Centre Dictionary

blithe

US/blaɪð/ rare obsolete

adjective

1.

lacking or showing a lack of due concern

  • “spoke with blithe ignorance of the true situation”
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2.

carefree and happy and lighthearted

  • “was loved for her blithe spirit”
  • “a merry blithesome nature”
  • “her lighthearted nature”
  • “trilling songs with a lightsome heart”
Synonyms
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Origin

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”).

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Word family

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.