blush

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /blʌʃ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like brush /l/ vs /r/

Freq #11694

Meanings

1

verb
To become red in the face from embarrassment or shyness.

She blushed when the teacher praised her work.
2

noun
A red or pink glow on the face caused by embarrassment or shyness.

A faint blush spread across his cheeks.
3

noun
A coloured powder used on the cheeks as makeup.

She added a little blush to brighten her face.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to become red in the face... flush redden crimson

3 noun · a coloured powder used on... blusher rouge

More pinken

Word family

Forms blushedblushesblushing

Derived forms ablushantiblushantiblushingblusherblushetblushfulblushinglyblushlessblushlikeblushwoodblushwortblushworthy

Related forms erythrophobia

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

blush wine
a pale pink wine made by briefly leaving red grape skins in the juice

Noun + noun

Etymology

From Middle English blusshen, bluschen, blusschen, blisshen, from Old English blysċan (“to be red; shine”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *blaskijaną, from *blasǭ (“burning candle; torch”) or alternatively from Proto-Germanic *bluskijaną, from *blusjǭ (“torch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-. Cognate with Middle Low German blöschen (“to blush”). Compare also Old English blysian (“to burn; blaze”), Dutch blozen (“to blush”), Danish blusse (“to blush”), Old Norse blys (“torch”), Danish blus (“blaze”).

blusshen Middle English blysċan Old English *blaskijaną Proto-Germanic *bluskijaną Proto-Germanic *bʰel- Proto-Indo-European

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Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# blush

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /blʌʃ/
**Frequency rank:** 11694

## Meanings
1. To become red in the face from embarrassment or shyness.
2. A red or pink glow on the face caused by embarrassment or shyness.
3. A coloured powder used on the cheeks as makeup.

## Examples
- She blushed when the teacher praised her work.
- A faint blush spread across his cheeks.
- She added a little blush to brighten her face.

## Synonyms
- flush
- pinken
- redden

## Derived Forms
- ablush
- antiblush
- antiblushing
- blusher
- blushet
- blushful
- blushingly
- blushless
- blushlike
- blushwood
- blushwort
- blushworthy

## Related Forms
- erythrophobia

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: blusshen
- Root: blysċan
- Root: *blaskijaną
- Root: *bluskijaną
- Root: *bʰel-

## Etymology
From Middle English blusshen, bluschen, blusschen, blisshen, from Old English blysċan (“to be red; shine”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *blaskijaną, from *blasǭ (“burning candle; torch”) or alternatively from Proto-Germanic *bluskijaną, from *blusjǭ (“torch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-. Cognate with Middle Low German blöschen (“to blush”). Compare also Old English blysian (“to burn; blaze”), Dutch blozen (“to blush”), Danish blusse (“to blush”), Old Norse blys (“torch”), Danish blus (“blaze”).

## AI Etymology
Blush comes from Middle English blusshen, bluschen, blusschen, blisshen, from Old English blysċan (“to be red; shine”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *blaskijaną, from *blasǭ (“burning candle; torch”) or alternatively from Proto-Germanic *bluskijaną, from *blusjǭ (“torch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-. Cognate with Middle Low German blöschen (“to blush”). Compare also Old English blysian (“to burn; blaze”), Dutch blozen (“to blush”), Danish blusse (“to blush”), Old Norse blys (“torch”), Danish blus (“blaze”).

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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