blessing en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈblɛs.ɪŋ/
- (US) audio
Etymology
From Middle English blessinge, blessynge, from Old English blētsung, blēdsung (“a blessing”), equivalent to bless + -ing.
Meanings
-
Some kind of divine or supernatural aid, or reward.
Henceforth, wherever thou may’st roam, My blessing, like a line of light, Is on the waters day and night, And like a beacon guards thee home.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XVII”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 28:
-
A pronouncement invoking divine aid.
Then everybody once more knelt, and soon the blessing was pronounced. The choir and the clergy trooped out slowly, […], down the nave to the western door. […] At a seemingly immense distance the surpliced group stopped to say the last prayer.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
-
Good fortune.
He was given blessings hoping he would pass his final exam.
- A modern pagan ceremony.
-
The act of declaring or bestowing favor; approval.
We will not proceed without the executive director's blessing.
Jocasta had my blessing when she seduced you, you stuck-up piffler.
2004, David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas, London: Sceptre (Hodder and Stoughton), →ISBN:
-
Something someone is glad of.
After two weeks of sun, last night's rainfall was a blessing.
- A prayer before a meal; grace.
-
(collective) A group of unicorns.
Then a blessing of unicorns charged into the studio, and I was carried away to be re-educated.
2009, Andrew Orlowski, "Facebook music dashboard: Revenue at last?", The Register, 13 September 2011And since we’re laying out our wishes, we’d also like a blessing of unicorns and one million dollars.
2008 September 11, Betsy Schiffman, “Time To Trash the Intellectual Property System, Says Report”, in Wired:She just wants to talk to her friends on www.unicornwillsaveus.com or write in her journal or flump on her bedroom floor with her blessing of unicorns: her posters, figurines, stickers, temporary tattoos of anatomically correct unicorns.
2011, Suzette Mayr, Monoceros, Coach House Books, published 2011, →ISBN, page 94:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| blessings | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
blessing in disguise · Toronto blessing · blurse · houseblessing · God's Blessing Green · stepmother's blessing · count one's blessings · Camp Blessing · blessingly · blessing loom · mixed blessing · a blessing and a curse · Blessing Way
Descendants
Translations (185)
sh blȁgoslōv (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · el ευλογία (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · tr bereket (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · fr bénédiction (thing one is glad of) · gu આશીર્વાદ (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · pl błogosławieństwo (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · bg благодат (good fortune) · pt bênção (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · ga beannacht (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · de Segenserteilung (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · fi onni (good fortune) · fr harde (group of unicorns) · sl blagoslov (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · eo beno (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · enm benysoun (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · ta ஆசீர்வாதம் (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · la benedictiō (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · pt benzimento (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · bn নেয়ামত (thing one is glad of) · fr troupeau (group of unicorns) · gd beannachd (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · ga beannacht (good fortune) · cs požehnání (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · pl błogosławieństwo (good fortune) · nl zegen (good fortune) · it benedizione (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · de Segen (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · az xeyir-dua (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · tt бәхет (good fortune) · tr baht (good fortune) · es bendición (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ga beannacht (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · sv hjord (group of unicorns) · got 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ky алкыш (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · he בְּרָכָה (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · tg фотиҳа (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ru ми́лость (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · gv bannaght (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · id doa restu (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · nl zegen (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · pl błogosławieństwo (thing one is glad of) · ga beannacht (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · cs požehnání (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · ja 恵み (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ar بَرَكَة (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · sh blȁgoslōv (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · tl biyaya (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · da velsignelse (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ka კურთხევა (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ky бата (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ru благослове́ние (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · got 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌵𐌹𐍃𐍃 (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · uk благослові́ння (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · cy rhad (good fortune) · pam kalam (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · fi tuuri (good fortune) · sh blȁgoslōv (good fortune) · nl zegening ((paganism) modern pagan ceremony) · de Segnung (good fortune) · nl zegenen (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · sid maasso (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · pt bênção (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · mr आशीर्वाद (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · be блаславе́нне (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · enm benysoun (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · gd beannachd (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · bn বরকত (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · alt алкыш (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · cmn 祝福 (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · fi siunaus (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ga beannacht (thing one is glad of) · ro benedicțiune (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · hy օրհնություն (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · id anugerah (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · de Segnen (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · it benedizione (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · gv bannaght (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · pt bendição (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · ru благослове́ние (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · pdt Säajen (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · tr talih (good fortune) · gl bendición (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · fi siunaus (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · sv välsignelse (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · bg благослови́я (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · de Segnung (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · ru благослове́ние (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · ae 𐬀𐬴𐬌 (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · fr bénédiction (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · fr groupe (group of unicorns) · bg благослови́я (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · la benedictiō (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · de Segnen (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · eo beno (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · tt уңыш (good fortune) · sq bekim (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · hi आशीष (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · sh бла̏госло̄в (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · bn নেয়ামত (good fortune) · yi ברכה (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · fa برکت (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · cy bendith (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · tt бәрәкәт (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ota دعا (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · clt thluechiy (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · sa वर (good fortune) · ru моли́тва (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · gl beizón (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ar نِعْمَة (thing one is glad of) · bn নেয়ামত (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ru благода́ть (good fortune) · ar نِعْمَة (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · sk požehnanie (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · om eebba (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · bn বর (good fortune) · de Segnung (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ko 축복 (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · sw baraka (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · fi ilonaihe (thing one is glad of) · sv välsignelse (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · fa موهبت (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · pt bênção (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · pl błogosławieństwo (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · pap bendishon (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · ar نِعْمَة (good fortune) · fr horde (group of unicorns) · mt barka (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · fy segen (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ja 祝福 (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · pt bênção (thing one is glad of) · sw baraka (good fortune) · ckb خێر (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · sh бла̏госло̄в (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · fi siunaus (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · nrf bénédiction (thing one is glad of) · ro binecuvântare (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · da velsignelse (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · ha albarka (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · fr grâce (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · az bərəkət (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · sw baraka (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · nl (in)zegening (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · fr bénédiction (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · nrf bénédiction (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · nrf bénédiction (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · gd beannachd ((paganism) modern pagan ceremony) · de Segen (good fortune) · kk алғыс (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · hi आशीर्वाद (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · gd beannachd (thing one is glad of) · uk благослові́ння (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · uk благослове́нство (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ca benedicció (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · zdj ɓaraka (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ur نعمت (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · be благаславе́нне (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · uk благослове́ння (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · kk бата (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · pl błogosławieństwo (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · fa نعمت (good fortune) · gd beannachd (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · sh бла̏госло̄в (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ur برکت (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · gd beannachd (good fortune) · mk благослов (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · hu áldás (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · hu áldás (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · cs požehnání (good fortune) · cy bendith (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · ota دعا (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · id karunia (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · atv алгыш (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · pdt Säajen (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · gl beizón (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · tg баракат (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · cs žehnání (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · rup urãciuni (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · ota بركت (divine or supernatural aid or reward) · sh бла̏госло̄в (good fortune) · de Segen (act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor) · de Segen (thing one is glad of) · pdt Säajen (good fortune) · sh blȁgoslōv (pronouncement invoking divine aid) · bn আশীর্বাদ (divine or supernatural aid or reward)