# blush

> English word · Noun · IPA /blʌʃ/ · frequency rank #13,671

## Definitions
1. An act of blushing; a pink or red glow on the face caused by embarrassment, shame, shyness, love, etc.
2. A glow; a flush of colour, especially pink or red.
3. A feeling or appearance of optimism.
4. A cosmetic, frequently a powder, used to redden the cheeks and lips.
5. A color between pink and cream.
6. Ellipsis of blush wine.

## Etymology
From Middle English blusshen, bluschen, blusschen, blisshen, from Old English blysċan (“to be red; shine”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *blaskijaną, from *blasǭ (“burning candle; torch”) or alternatively from Proto-Germanic *bluskijaną, from *blusjǭ (“torch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-.
Cognate with Middle Low German blöschen (“to blush”). Compare also Old English blysian (“to burn; blaze”), Dutch blozen (“to blush”), Danish blusse (“to blush”), Old Norse blys (“torch”), Danish blus (“blaze”).

## Easily confused with
- **bus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-bus)
- **busy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-busy)
- **bush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-bush)
- **bust** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-bust)
- **bruh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-bruh)
- **bosh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-bosh)
- **buss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-buss)
- **brush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-brush)
- **Busch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-busch)
- **bushy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-bushy)
- **brash** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-brash)
- **bough** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-bough)
- **Blyth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-blyth)
- **bolus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-bolus)
- **blushes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-blushes)
- **blushed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-blushed)
- **BLS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bls-vs-blush)
- **blue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blue-vs-blush)
- **blah** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-blush)
- **bash** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bash-vs-blush)

## Common misspellings (8)
`bblush`, `bllush`, `blsuh`, `bluhs`, `blushh`, `blussh`, `bulsh`, `lbush`

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