blessing 1 of 2

noun

ˈble-siŋ How to pronounce blessing (audio)
Definition of blessingnext
1
as in prayer
a prayer calling for divine care, protection, or favor that rabbi always ends the service with a short blessing

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2
as in benefit
something that provides happiness or does good for a person or thing winning the lottery shortly after being laid off was an unexpected blessing

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3
as in approval
an acceptance of something as satisfactory Mr. Roberts promptly gave his blessing to his daughter's choice of husband

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4
as in consecration
the act of making something holy through religious ritual traditionally, worshippers kneel during the blessing of the communion wafers

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blessing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bless
1
as in consecrating
to make holy through prayers or ritual the priest blessed the water, thus allowing it to be used as holy water for various rites

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2
as in celebrating
to proclaim the glory of bless the name of God

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3
as in gifting
to furnish freely or naturally with some power, quality, or attribute blessed with a knack for glib conversation

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of blessing
Noun
For Witt, signing with The Black Effect Podcast Network was a major blessing. — Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 He was replaced by Ali al-Zaidi, a businessman and political newcomer, who emerged as a consensus candidate and received the blessing of the United States. — ABC News, 28 June 2026
Verb
Trump re-posted an image depicting Jesus blessing him, whcich was first posted by a right-wing Republican candidate for a Boston congressional seat. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026 Companies start to get nervous when the percentage of shareholders blessing their pay plans dips well below the average, which is slightly above 90%, said Elizabeth Bieber, partner at the law firm Freshfields who leads shareholder engagement. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for blessing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blessing
  1. prayer
  2. benefit
  3. approval
  4. consecration
  5. consecrating
  6. celebrating
  7. gifting
  8. petition
Noun
  • The thoughts and prayers expressed on the phones are, in a sense, carried by the wind.
    — Staff Photographer, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Iranian state media showed throngs of people gathered at Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, a large prayer complex in Tehran, visiting the family's caskets.
    — Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR, 6 July 2026
Definition of prayer
Noun
  • If an employer chooses to grant recognition, no election takes place, and the parties begin bargaining a contract that sets standards for wages, working conditions and benefits.
    — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Sign up for an Amazon Prime membership to get exclusive perks and benefits all year, including grocery delivery.
    — Rachel Cortez, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of benefit
Noun
  • Jolly replaced him and, within two months, secured Moreno’s approval to hire the architect of a World Series championship team to figure out what was not right in the organization, and to fix it.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • One reason ibogaine has struggled to win approval in the past is a lack of financial incentive, Barsuglia said.
    — Gavin Escott, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of approval
Noun
  • The Vatican’s doctrine office went above and beyond the minimum sanctions foreseen by the church’s canon law to respond to the consecrations Wednesday of four new bishops at the society’s Econe, Switzerland, seminary.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • The latest consecrations could prompt Pope Leo to end the Vatican's decades of dialogue with the breakaway society.
    — Noah LaBelle, NPR, 2 July 2026
Definition of consecration
Verb
  • But yesterday, the group defied Pope Leo XIV by consecrating four bishops without his approval.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 July 2026
  • Under the church’s in-house canon law, consecrating a bishop without papal consent incurs an automatic excommunication for both the people administering the consecration and the bishops receiving it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of consecrating
Verb
  • In Glacier View, Alaska, about two hours north of Anchorage, celebrating America’s Independence Day makes fireworks a thing of the past.
    — Carmela Asmar, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • For much of the country, the 250th anniversary of independence on Saturday is a time for celebrating and debating the country's birth.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
Definition of celebrating
Verb
  • One of our favorite gifting hubs, Anthropologie also stocks a surprisingly robust assortment of outdoor furniture and decor.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 3 July 2026
  • For those determined to wrap an actual object, gifting experts say the trick is to avoid anything that merely announces its own price tag.
    — Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026
Definition of gifting
Noun
  • Congress for a time had stopped hearing anti-slavery petitions as too divisive.
    — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • In addition to his restraining order, Tate also filed a petition to modify the terms of their divorce and custody agreement.
    — Sean Mandell, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
Definition of petition

Browse Nearby Words

blesses
blessing
blessings
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Cite this Entry

“Blessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blessing. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on blessing

Nglish: Translation of blessing for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about blessing

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