Link Centre Dictionary

blur

UK/bləː/ US/ˈblɜː/ fairly common
noun (1) verb (6)

noun

1.

a hazy or indistinct representation

  • “it happened so fast it was just a blur”
  • “he tried to clear his head of the whisky fuzz”
Synonyms

verb

1.

become glassy; lose clear vision

  • “Her eyes glazed over from lack of sleep”
Synonyms
2.

to make less distinct or clear

  • “The haze blurs the hills”
Antonyms
3.

make unclear, indistinct, or blurred

  • “Her remarks confused the debate”
  • “Their words obnubilate their intentions”
Synonyms
4.

make a smudge on; soil by smudging

Synonyms
5.

make dim or indistinct

  • “The drug blurs my vision”
Synonyms
Antonyms
6.

become vague or indistinct

  • “The distinction between the two theories blurred”
Synonyms
Antonyms

Origin

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.

Phrases

  • blur the line
  • blur the lines
  • motion blur
  • zoom blur

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

See also

Related verbs

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.