blur

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To make something unclear or hard to see clearly.

   Tears blurred her vision as she read the letter.

2. 2
   verb

   To become unclear or indistinct.

   The line between work and home has blurred since I started working remotely.

3. 3
   noun

   Something seen unclearly, without sharp shapes or edges.

   The whole evening passed in a blur.

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.

Topics