English Dictionary

BLESSED

IPA (US): 

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Blessed mean? 

BLESSED (adjective)
  The adjective BLESSED has 6 senses:

1. highly favored or fortunate (as e.g. by divine grace)play

2. worthy of worshipplay

3. expletives used informally as intensifiersplay

4. Roman Catholic; proclaimed one of the blessed and thus worthy of venerationplay

5. enjoying the bliss of heavenplay

6. characterized by happiness and good fortuneplay

  Familiarity information: BLESSED used as an adjective is common.


 Dictionary entry details 


BLESSED (adjective)


Sense 1

Meaning:

Highly favored or fortunate (as e.g. by divine grace)

Synonyms:

blessed; blest

Context example:

the blessed assurance of a steady income

Similar:

fortunate; golden (supremely favored)

Antonym:

cursed (deserving a curse; sometimes used as an intensifier)


Sense 2

Meaning:

Worthy of worship

Context example:

the Blessed Trinity

Similar:

holy (belonging to or derived from or associated with a divine power)


Sense 3

Meaning:

Expletives used informally as intensifiers

Synonyms:

blame; blamed; blasted; blessed; damn; damned; darned; deuced; goddam; goddamn; goddamned; infernal

Context example:

an infernal nuisance

Similar:

cursed; curst (deserving a curse; sometimes used as an intensifier)


Sense 4

Meaning:

Roman Catholic; proclaimed one of the blessed and thus worthy of veneration

Synonyms:

beatified; blessed

Similar:

holy (belonging to or derived from or associated with a divine power)


Sense 5

Meaning:

Enjoying the bliss of heaven

Similar:

saved (rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin)


Sense 6

Meaning:

Characterized by happiness and good fortune

Context example:

a blessed time

Similar:

happy (enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure)

Derivation:

blessedness (a state of supreme happiness)


 Context examples 


Here you comes and tells me of it plain; and here I let him give us all the slip before my blessed deadlights!

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Peggotty took me in her arms, and blessed and thanked me over and over again for being such a comfort to her (that was what she said) in her distress.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

"Yes, Blessed Wolf," agreed the Judge.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

“We’ll make it, I think; but you can depend upon it that blessed brother of mine has twigged our little game and is just a-humping for us. Ah, look at that!”

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

"No, no," he cried, while he secretly blessed her for her kindness.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

"You Wolf, you!" and "You blessed Wolf!" the man and woman called out to him.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

So that, my friend, it will be a blessed hand for her that shall strike the blow that sets her free.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Blessed thistle may have anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects.

(Blessed thistle, NCI Dictionary)

A substance found in certain plants, including blessed thistle.

(Cnicin, NCI Dictionary)

“It’s a blessed mystery to me,” cried Pycroft, scratching his head.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"Green leaves and brown leaves fall from the same tree." (English proverb)

"One finger cannot lift a pebble." (Native American proverb, Hopi)

"If you hear a person talking good about things that aren't in you, don't be sure that he wouldn't also say bad things about things that aren't in you." (Arabic proverb)

"With friends like these, who needs enemies?" (Croatian proverb)



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