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at first blush

at first blush
A a

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [at furst bluhsh]
    • /æt fɜrst blʌʃ/
    • /ət fɜːst blʌʃ/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [at furst bluhsh]
    • /æt fɜrst blʌʃ/

Definitions of at first blush words

  • noun at first blush when first seen; as a first impression 3
  • noun at first blush at first sight; without further consideration 3
  • verb without object at first blush to redden, as from embarrassment or shame: He blushed when they called him a conquering hero. 1
  • verb without object at first blush to feel shame or embarrassment (often followed by at or for): Your behavior makes me blush for your poor mother. 1
  • verb without object at first blush (of the sky, flowers, etc.) to become rosy. 1
  • verb without object at first blush (of new house paint or lacquer) to become cloudy or dull through moisture or excessive evaporation of solvents. 1
See all 15 definitions of at first blush

Information block about the term

Origin of at first blush

First appearance:

before 1275
One of the 13% oldest English words
1275-1325; (v.) Middle English bluschen, Old English blyscan to redden; akin to Old English blysa, Old Norse blys, Middle Low German blus torch, bloschen to blaze; (noun) Middle English blusch, blisch, derivative of the v.

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for At first blush

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of At first blush

at first blush popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 91% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

at first blush usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for at first blush

adv at first blush

  • supposedly — assumed as true, regardless of fact; hypothetical: a supposed case.
  • officially — a person appointed or elected to an office or charged with certain duties.
  • outwardly — as regards appearance or outward manifestation: outwardly charming; outwardly considerate.
  • superficially — being at, on, or near the surface: a superficial wound.
  • seemingly — apparent; appearing, whether truly or falsely, to be as specified: a seeming advantage.
All 13 Synonyms of at first blush

Antonyms for at first blush

adv at first blush

  • obscurely — (of meaning) not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain: an obscure sentence in the contract.
  • improbably — not probable; unlikely to be true or to happen: Rain is improbable tonight.
  • unlikely — not likely to be or occur; improbable; marked by doubt.
All 3 Antonyms of at first blush

See also

Matching words

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