blind
blind1 S2 W3 /blaɪnd/ 
adjective
a. unable to see ⇨ colour-blind, visually impaired, handicapped:
a school for blind children
the needs of blind people
totally/completely/almost/partially blind
She’s almost blind in her right eye.
He was slowly going blind (=becoming blind).
Beverley was born blind.
b. the blind [plural] people who are unable to see:
talking books for the blind
c. as blind as a bat unable to see well – used humorously:
I’m as blind as a bat without my glasses.
d. blind with tears/rage/pain etc unable to see because of tears, pain, or a strong emotion ⇨ blindly:
She screamed at him, her eyes blind with tears.
2. be blind to something to completely fail to notice or realize something ⇨ blindly:
International companies are all too often blind to local needs.
He was totally blind to the faults of his children.
3. turn a blind eye (to something) to deliberately ignore something that you know should not be happening:
Teachers were turning a blind eye to smoking in school.
4. not take/pay a blind bit of notice British English informal to completely ignore what someone does or says, especially in a way that is annoying:
He never pays a blind bit of notice to what his staff tell him.
5. not make a blind bit of difference British English informal used to emphasize that whatever someone says or does will not change the situation at all:
Try and talk to her if you want, but I don’t think it’ll make a blind bit of difference.
6. FEELINGS
a. blind faith/prejudice/obedience etc strong feelings that someone has without thinking about why they have them – used to show disapproval:
Blind faith sent thousands of people to a pointless war.
a story about blind loyalty
b. blind panic/rage strong feelings of fear or anger that you cannot control:
In a moment of blind panic, she had pulled the trigger and shot the man dead.
Blind rage took hold of him.
7. ROAD blind bend/corner a corner in a road that you cannot see beyond when you are driving
8. the blind leading the blind used to say that people who do not know much about what they are doing are guiding or advising others who know nothing at all
9. AIRCRAFT blind flying is when you use only instruments to fly an aircraft because you cannot see through cloud, mist etc
—blindness noun
blind2 verb [transitive]
1. to make it difficult for someone to see for a short time:
For a moment, I was blinded by the glare of headlights coming towards me.
The dust choked and blinded him.
Blinded by tears, I walked towards the door.
2. to make someone lose their good sense or judgment and be unable to see the truth about something:
He should have known better, but he was blinded by his own wants.
blind somebody to something
Children’s bad behaviour should not blind us to their need for love.
His single-minded determination to win the war is blinding him to other dangers.
3. to permanently destroy someone’s ability to see:
He had been blinded in an explosion.
4. blind somebody with science to confuse or trick someone by using complicated language
⇨ effing and blinding at eff(1)
■ Unable to see
▪blind unable to see anything: She has been blind from birth.
▪partially-sighted not able to see things very well, although not completely blind: Good lighting can be very important for partially sighted people.
▪visually handicapped/impaired completely blind or not able to see very much – used especially in official reports, forms etc: a special school for visually impaired children
blind3 noun
1. (also (window) shade American English) [countable] a covering, especially one made of cloth, that can be rolled up and down to cover a window inside a building:
The blinds were drawn (=pulled down) to protect the new furniture from the sun.
open/pull down/draw the blinds ⇨ roller blind, Venetian blind
2. [countable] American English a small shelter where you can watch birds or animals without being seen by them
SYN hide British English
3. [singular] a trick or excuse to stop someone from discovering the truth
blind4 adverb
blind drunk British English informal extremely drunk
⇨ rob somebody blind at rob(3), ⇨ swear blind at swear(3)
| I |
adjective Language: Old English
1. UNABLE TO SEE a. unable to see ⇨ colour-blind, visually impaired, handicapped:
totally/completely/almost/partially blind
b. the blind [plural] people who are unable to see:
c. as blind as a bat unable to see well – used humorously:
d. blind with tears/rage/pain etc unable to see because of tears, pain, or a strong emotion ⇨ blindly:
2. be blind to something to completely fail to notice or realize something ⇨ blindly:
3. turn a blind eye (to something) to deliberately ignore something that you know should not be happening:
4. not take/pay a blind bit of notice British English informal to completely ignore what someone does or says, especially in a way that is annoying:
5. not make a blind bit of difference British English informal used to emphasize that whatever someone says or does will not change the situation at all:
6. FEELINGS
a. blind faith/prejudice/obedience etc strong feelings that someone has without thinking about why they have them – used to show disapproval:
b. blind panic/rage strong feelings of fear or anger that you cannot control:
7. ROAD blind bend/corner a corner in a road that you cannot see beyond when you are driving
8. the blind leading the blind used to say that people who do not know much about what they are doing are guiding or advising others who know nothing at all
9. AIRCRAFT blind flying is when you use only instruments to fly an aircraft because you cannot see through cloud, mist etc
—blindness noun
| II |
verb [transitive]1. to make it difficult for someone to see for a short time:
2. to make someone lose their good sense or judgment and be unable to see the truth about something:
blind somebody to something
3. to permanently destroy someone’s ability to see:
4. blind somebody with science to confuse or trick someone by using complicated language
⇨ effing and blinding at eff(1)
| THESAURUS |
▪
▪
▪
| III |
noun1. (also (window) shade American English) [countable] a covering, especially one made of cloth, that can be rolled up and down to cover a window inside a building:
open/pull down/draw the blinds ⇨ roller blind, Venetian blind
2. [countable] American English a small shelter where you can watch birds or animals without being seen by them
SYN hide British English
3. [singular] a trick or excuse to stop someone from discovering the truth
| IV |
adverbblind drunk British English informal extremely drunk
⇨ rob somebody blind at rob(3), ⇨ swear blind at swear(3)