blink

1. 1.

   a reflex that closes and opens the eyes rapidly

   Synonymseye blinkblinkingwinkwinkingnictitationnictation

   Broaderreflex

   Narrowerpalpebration

Other forms of blink

plural

blinks·

past tense

blinked·

present participle

blinking·

Forms marked · are formed by the regular rule rather than recorded in the source data. English keeps a few hundred irregulars and the rest follow the pattern, so the rule is right far more often than not — but it is a rule, and the mark says so.

Questions about blink

What does blink mean?

blink means "briefly shut the eyes". That is the primary sense; the word has 4 in total, listed in full on this page.

How many syllables are in blink?

blink has 1 syllable: blink. In IPA it is /ˈblɪŋk/.

What is another word for blink?

Close synonyms include wink, nictitate, nictate, wink, blink away. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

Is blink a common word?

blink is banded "Common" — everyday vocabulary in speech and writing. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.