# bless

> English word · Verb · IPA /blɛs/ · frequency rank #5,394

## Definitions
1. To make something holy by religious rite, sanctify.
2. To invoke divine favor upon.
3. To honor as holy, glorify; to extol for excellence.
4. To esteem or account happy; to felicitate.
5. To make the sign of the cross upon, so as to sanctify.
6. To wave; to brandish.
7. To turn (a reference) into an object.
8. To secure, defend, or prevent from.
9. To give or send.
10. To approve of or assent to.
11. To perform the mano gesture; taking of an elder's hand to press it to one's forehead or kiss it (as a sign of respect)

## Etymology
From Middle English blessen, from Old English bletsian (“to consecrate (with blood)”), from Proto-West Germanic *blōdisōn (“to sprinkle, mark or hallow with blood”), from Proto-Germanic *blōþą (“blood”), of uncertain origin, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- (“to bloom”). Cognate with Old Norse bleza (“to bless”) (whence Icelandic blessa), Old English blēdan (“to bleed”). More at bleed.

## Easily confused with
- **BLS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-bls)
- **boss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-boss)
- **blew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-blew)
- **buss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-buss)
- **blues** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-blues)
- **brass** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-brass)
- **blows** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-blows)
- **bliss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-bliss)
- **blush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-blush)
- **brews** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-brews)
- **Brest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-brest)
- **blocs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-blocs)
- **blurs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-blurs)
- **Boers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-boers)
- **blessed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-blessed)
- **blesses** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bless-vs-blesses)
- **bes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bes-vs-bless)
- **BLE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ble-vs-bless)
- **best** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/best-vs-bless)
- **bass** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bass-vs-bless)

## Common misspellings (6)
`bbless`, `belss`, `bles`, `blless`, `blses`, `lbess`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bless