blink

blink — verb

1. to move your eyelids down and up in a quick motion, either without meaning to or

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to move your eyelids down and up in a quick motion, either without meaning to or on purpose.

Example

Priya blinked twice when the camera flash hit her face.

blink + number of times

Dust blew into Omar's eye, and he kept blinking at the bus stop.

Common collocations
  • blink twice
  • blink hard
  • blink rapidly
  • blink your eyes
Synonyms
  • wink

    usually deliberate and done with one eye to send a message

  • bat

    less common and often used with eyelashes in a playful or attractive way

  • flutter

    more literary and suggests very light, repeated eyelid movement

Antonyms
  • stare

    to keep your eyes open and look fixedly without blinking much

Grammar Patterns

blink

blink your eyes

Usage Note

Often followed by numbers or adverbs: blink once, blink twice, blink hard. Unlike 'wink', this sense normally involves both eyes and often happens automatically.

Common Mistakes

She blinked at me from across the room.
She winked at me from across the room.
a wink is a deliberate signal; a blink is usually just eye movement.
The smoke made me blink my eye.
The smoke made me blink.' / 'The smoke made me blink my eyes.
with the transitive pattern, English normally uses the plural 'eyes'.

2. if a light or signal blinks, it keeps appearing and disappearing for short momen

2.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

if a light or signal blinks, it keeps appearing and disappearing for short moments.

Example

A red light blinked above the hotel lift all night.

subject: light

The router blinked green after Mei turned it back on.

blink + colour

Common collocations
  • blink red
  • blink green
  • warning light blinking
  • icon blinking on a screen
Synonyms
  • flash

    often stronger and brighter than 'blink'

  • flicker

    suggests an unsteady weak light, often not fully regular

  • pulse

    often used for electronic lights that brighten and dim in a pattern

Antonyms
  • glow

    to give a steady soft light

  • shine steadily

    to remain on without the repeated off-on pattern

Grammar Patterns

light/signal blink

Usage Note

Used for lights, signs, screens, and warning signals, not usually for steady natural light such as the sun. Distinguish from sense 1, where a person's eyes move.

Common Mistakes

The lamp blinked and stayed bright.
The lamp blinked on and off.
for lights, 'blink' suggests repeated short appearances, not a steady glow.
The sun was blinking through the window.
The sun was shining through the window.
steady natural light normally does not 'blink'.

3. to give way in a struggle, discussion, or negotiation before the other person or

3.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

to give way in a struggle, discussion, or negotiation before the other person or group does.

Example

After three days of talks, the smaller union blinked first.

blink first

Noa refused to cut the price, waiting for the buyer to blink.

wait for + somebody + to blink

Common collocations
  • blink first
  • refuse to blink
  • make somebody blink
  • wait for the other side to blink
Synonyms
  • give in

    the most common everyday choice

  • back down

    often stresses giving up a strong position after pressure

  • yield

    more formal and common in writing

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

blink first

wait for somebody to blink

Usage Note

Common in business, politics, and arguments, often with 'first'. The subject is usually one side in a conflict, not a person making a physical eye movement.

Common Mistakes

She blinked him in the negotiation.
She made him blink in the negotiation.
this figurative sense is intransitive; the side that gives way is the subject.
I blinked to his demand.
I gave in to his demand.' / 'I blinked in the argument.
this sense does not normally take 'to' after the verb.
Phrasal verbs

blink away

phrasal verb

to get rid of tears or something in your eye by blinking quickly.

Leila blinked away the tears before the class photo.

A grain of sand landed in Mei's eye, and she blinked it away.

blink back

phrasal verb

to stop tears from falling by trying hard not to cry.

Rashida blinked back tears during her son's piano solo.

At the station, Theo blinked back his tears and waved goodbye.

blink — noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Blink is the neutral everyday verb for a quick eyelid movement. It often happens without planning, especially when strong light, dust, or tiredness affects your eyes. Wink is different because it is deliberate and usually uses one eye to send a message or joke. Bat is less common and often appears with eyelashes, suggesting repeated gentle blinking to look sweet or attractive. Flutter is more literary and gives a softer, lighter picture than blink. If sand gets in your eye, you blink. If a friend across the room shares a secret, they wink. In a film scene, a character may bat or flutter their eyelashes.

blink ↗winkbat ↗flutter

Etymology

Middle EnglishGermanicEnglish

The modern form blink probably grew out of Middle English blenk or blenken. Those older forms could refer to shining or to a sudden movement, and they seem to connect to a Germanic root linked with brightness or flashing. That earlier idea helps explain why English uses blink both for eyelids moving quickly and for lights that appear and disappear.