blindly

blindly — adverb

1. with no clear sight, or with little awareness of the space around you.

1.adverbB2
Definition

with no clear sight, or with little awareness of the space around you.

Example

Yusuf moved blindly along the wall until he found the light switch.

move blindly along a surface

Smoke filled the kitchen, and Priya reached blindly for the back door.

reach blindly for something

Common collocations
  • move blindly
  • walk blindly
  • reach blindly
  • search blindly
  • push blindly through
Synonyms
  • gropingly

    stresses feeling your way mainly with your hands

  • fumblingly

    adds an idea of clumsy or unsure movement

  • unseeingly

    formal and rare, simply stating lack of sight

Antonyms
  • carefully

    shows deliberate visual attention

  • watchfully

    stresses keeping your eyes on possible danger

Grammar Patterns

move blindly

reach blindly for something

search blindly for something

Usage Note

Often follows verbs such as walk, move, reach, feel, and search. Distinguish from sense 2 NOT THINKING, which is about poor judgment rather than lack of sight or awareness.

Common Mistakes

The hikers walked blind through the tunnel.
The hikers walked blindly through the tunnel.
use the adverb to modify the verb walked.
Noa searched blindly the earring under the sofa.
Noa searched blindly under the sofa for the earring.
keep the usual search pattern with a place or a for-phrase.

2. in a way that shows no real judgment, because you simply accept or do something.

2.adverbB2
Definition

in a way that shows no real judgment, because you simply accept or do something.

Example

Some fans blindly copy every diet tip they see online.

blindly + verb of copying or following

The board blindly trusted the report and missed the warning signs.

blindly trust something without checking

Common collocations
  • blindly trust
  • blindly follow
  • blindly obey
  • blindly copy
  • blindly repeat
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

blindly trust somebody or something

blindly follow something

blindly obey an order

Usage Note

Common with verbs like trust, follow, obey, accept, support, and copy. Distinguish from sense 1 NOT SEEING, where the problem is physical sight or awareness of your surroundings.

Common Mistakes

Don't blindly to believe every post online.
Don't blindly believe every post online.
use the base verb after blindly.
The judge blindly reviewed both sides for two hours.
The judge carefully reviewed both sides for two hours.
blindly does not fit a context that shows slow, careful judgment.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/2

'Blindly' in sense 2 is close to 'unthinkingly', 'unquestioningly', and sometimes 'obediently', but each word points to a different reason for the lack of judgment. 'Unthinkingly' stresses that no real thought happened. 'Unquestioningly' stresses that a person did not doubt or challenge what they were told. 'Obediently' often suggests following an order because of authority, not because it is wise. 'Mechanically' can overlap when someone acts automatically, but it often focuses more on habit than belief. 'Blindly' is the broadest choice when a person follows, trusts, or repeats something without checking it. Compare: 'The crowd blindly followed the rumor online' and 'The intern obediently followed the manager's instructions.'

blindly ↗unthinkinglyunquestioninglyobediently ↗mechanically ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Blindly is built from the adjective 'blind' and the adverb ending '-ly'. 'Blind' has been in English since Old English, where it already described a person who could not see. The adverb first referred to acting without sight, and later it also developed the figurative sense of acting without judgment.