BLESS


Meaning of BLESS in English

I. ˈbles verb

( blessed ˈblest ; also blest “ ; blessed “ ; also blest “ ; blessing ; blesses )

Etymology: Middle English blessen, from Old English bletsian, blētsian, blēdsian, from blōd blood; from the use of blood in consecration or sacrifice — more at blood

transitive verb

1. : to consecrate or hallow by religious rite or word : make or pronounce holy

and God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it — Gen 2:3 (Authorized Version)

this little touch of ceremony … seemed to bless the union — Margaret A. Barnes

2. : to make the sign of the cross upon or over — often used reflexively

they shivered and blessed themselves as they passed the gloomy opening

3. : to invoke divine care for

then the bishop shall bless them — Book of Com. Prayer

: pray for

we may as well bless our enemies; they are too many to fight

4.

a. : praise , glorify : to extol for excellences

bless the Lord, O my soul — Ps 103:1 (Revised Standard Version)

b. : to regard with great favor : approve highly

your cameraman may bless you because he can go all out for atmosphere — Richard Harrison

5. : to make happy : give good fortune or satisfaction to : confer prosperity upon

a child soon blessed the union

the whole region is blessed with good soil and abundant water

6. : guard , protect , keep , preserve — formerly usually used with from and often reflexively

bless me from marrying a usurer — Shakespeare

he blessed himself from such customers — Tobias Smollett

— now used almost wholly in exclamations

God bless me, what's happened now

7. : favor , endow

few persons have been blessed as he has in his every endeavor

— usually used with with

a man blessed with a happy nature and a healthy appetite

: to give approval to

the president would bless the reopening of this issue

8. archaic : to account happy : felicitate — used reflexively

the nations shall bless themselves in him — Jer 4:2 (Authorized Version)

9. : curse , damn , condemn — usually used in the first person present

I'm blessed if I know what went wrong

or future

I'll be blessed if I do

or absolutely

blessed if I care

intransitive verb

: to offer thanksgivings or ask for blessings

if you bless with the spirit — 1 Cor 14:16 (Revised Standard Version)

his historic sense would have blest and feasted — Atlantic

II. transitive verb

Etymology: origin unknown

obsolete : wave , brandish

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.