blight

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A diseased condition suffered by a plant; specifically, a complete and rapid chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as floral organs, leaves, branches, or twigs, especially one caused by a fungus; a mildew, a rust, a smut.
2. (countable, uncountable) The cause of such a condition, often unseen but believed to be airborne; specifically, a bacterium, a virus, or (especially) a fungus; also, an aphid which attacks fruit trees.
3. (broadly, countable, uncountable) A state of cloudy, humid weather.
4. (broadly, countable, dated, uncountable) A diseased condition of the face or skin; specifically, bleeding under the conjunctiva of the eye, a form of skin rash, or a palsy of the face due to cold.
5. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Something that impedes development or growth, or spoils any other aspect of life.
6. (countable, figuratively, specifically, uncountable) A rundown and unsightly condition of an urban area; also, such an area.

Verb

1. (transitive) To affect the fertility or growth of (a plant) with a blight (noun sense 1.1), especially one caused by a fungus; to blast, to mildew, to smut.
2. (broadly, dated, transitive) To affect (a body part) with a disease.
3. (figuratively, transitive) To impede the development or growth of (an aspect of life); to damage, to ruin, to spoil.
4. (intransitive) Of a plant: to suffer blight (noun sense 1.1).

Synonyms

ruin

mar

plague

spoil

pest

blast

deface

mildew

damage

unsoundness

corrupt

deflower

destroy

devastate

wreck

wilt

withering

smut

blemish

afflict

murder

disrupt

kill

🔪🩸👤

impair

rust

bunt

deform

break

demolish

deprave

decimate

bollocks

debauch

erase

debase

bollix

bedevil

dry

curse

bobble

do away with

corruption

drag down

drop

dish

efface

disfigure

ergot

evil

blighted

Translations

plaga

fléau

verderben

Brand

🔥

mahvetmek

rouille

quemadura

détruire

carie

ruiner

καταστρέφω

abîmer

vernichten

vereiteln

zerstören

Pronounced as (IPA)

/blaɪt/

Etymology

Cognate with Middle English: blichening

Cognate with Middle English: bliken

Cognate with Old English: blīcan

Cognate with English: blike

Cognate with Old Norse: blikna

Inherited from Middle English: *bleighte

Inherited from Old English: blǣcþa

In summary

The etymology of the noun is uncertain; suggested derivations include the following:
* possibly related to Middle English blichening (“mildew or rust on grain, blight”), possibly related to Middle English bliken (“to gleam, shine; to turn pale”), from Old English blīcan (“to shine, sparkle”) (whence modern English blike (“(obsolete) to gleam, shine”); also compare Old Norse blikna (“to grow pallid”)), from Proto-West Germanic *blīkan (“to shine”), from Proto-Germanic *blīkaną (“to gleam, shine”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleyǵ- (“to shine”); or
* since sense 2.2 is a diseased condition of the skin, possibly from Middle English *bleighte, *bleȝte, from Old English blǣcþa (“leprosy”) (related to blǣċe (“an itching skin-disease”) and blǣċo (“leprosy; paleness”)), from Proto-West Germanic *blaik, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *blaikaz (“pale; white”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleyǵ- (“to shine”). If so, the word is a doublet of bleak.
The verb is derived from the noun.