Definitions for: Bless


[v] give a benediction to; "The dying man blessed his son"
[v] render holy by means of religious rites
[v] make the sign of the cross over someone in order to call on God for protection; consecrate
[v] confer prosperity or happiness on



Webster (1913) Definition: Bless, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blessedor Blest; p. pr. &
vb. n. Blessing.] [OE. blessien, bletsen, AS. bletsian,
bledsian, bloedsian, fr. bl?d blood; prob. originally to
consecrate by sprinkling with blood. See Blood.]
1. To make or pronounce holy; to consecrate

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.
--Gen. ii. 3.

2. To make happy, blithesome, or joyous; to confer prosperity
or happiness upon; to grant divine favor to.

The quality of mercy is . . . twice blest; It
blesseth him that gives and him that takes. --Shak.

It hath pleased thee to bless the house of thy
servant, that it may continue forever before thee.
--1 Chron.
xvii. 27 (R.
V. )

3. To express a wish or prayer for the happiness of; to
invoke a blessing upon; -- applied to persons.

Bless them which persecute you. --Rom. xii.
14.

4. To invoke or confer beneficial attributes or qualities
upon; to invoke or confer a blessing on, -- as on food.

Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and
looking up to heaven, he blessed them. --Luke ix.
16.

5. To make the sign of the cross upon; to cross (one's self).
[Archaic] --Holinshed.

6. To guard; to keep; to protect. [Obs.]

7. To praise, or glorify; to extol for excellences.

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within
me, bless his holy name. --Ps. ciii. 1.

8. To esteem or account happy; to felicitate.

The nations shall bless themselves in him. --Jer.
iv. 3.

9. To wave; to brandish. [Obs.]

And burning blades about their heads do bless.
--Spenser.

Round his armed head his trenchant blade he blest.
--Fairfax.

Note: This is an old sense of the word, supposed by Johnson,
Nares, and others, to have been derived from the old
rite of blessing a field by directing the hands to all
parts of it. ``In drawing [their bow] some fetch such a
compass as though they would turn about and bless all
the field.'' --Ascham.



Bless me! Bless us! an exclamation of surprise. --Milton.

To bless from, to secure, defend, or preserve from. ``Bless
me from marrying a usurer.'' --Shak.

To bless the doors from nightly harm. --Milton.


To bless with, To be blessed with, to favor or endow
with; to be favored or endowed with; as, God blesses us
with health; we are blessed with happiness.

Synonyms: consecrate, hallow, sanctify, sign

Antonyms: anathemize, bedamn, beshrew, curse, damn, deconsecrate, desecrate, imprecate, maledict

See Also: anele, anoint, bestow, confer, declare, embrocate, gesticulate, gesture, inunct, motion, oil, reconsecrate

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