U

blessed

adjective

consecrated; sacred; holy; sanctified: the Blessed Sacrament.
worthy of adoration, reverence, or worship: the Blessed Trinity.
divinely or supremely favored; fortunate: to be blessed with a strong, healthy body; blessed with an ability to find friends.
blissfully happy or contented.
Roman Catholic Church. beatified.
bringing happiness and thankfulness: the blessed assurance of a steady income.
Informal. damned: I’m blessed if I know.
Informal. (used as an intensifier): every blessed cent.

verb (used with object), blessed or blest, bless·ing.

to consecrate or sanctify by a religious rite; make or pronounce holy.
to request of God the bestowal of divine favor on: Bless this house.
to bestow good of any kind upon: a nation blessed with peace.
to extol as holy; glorify: Bless the name of the Lord.
to protect or guard from evil (usually used as an interjection): Bless you! Bless your innocent little heart!
to condemn or curse: I’ll be blessed if I can see your reasoning. Bless me if it isn’t my old friend!
to make the sign of the cross over or upon: The Pope blessed the multitude.

adjective

made holy by religious ceremony; consecrated
worthy of deep reverence or respect
RC Church (of a person) beatified by the pope
characterized by happiness or good fortunea blessed time
bringing great happiness or good fortune
a euphemistic word for damned I’m blessed if I know

noun

the blessed Christianity the dead who are already enjoying heavenly bliss

verb blesses, blessing, blessed or blest (tr)

to consecrate or render holy, beneficial, or prosperous by means of a religious rite
to give honour or glory to (a person or thing) as divine or holy
to call upon God to protect; give a benediction to
to worship or adore (God); call or hold holy
(often passive) to grant happiness, health, or prosperity tothey were blessed with perfect peace
(usually passive) to endow with a talent, beauty, etcshe was blessed with an even temper
rare to protect against evil or harm
bless! (interjection) an exclamation of well-wishing
bless you! (interjection)
1. a traditional phrase said to a person who has just sneezed
2. an exclamation of well-wishing or surprise
bless me!, bless my soul! or God bless my soul! (interjection) an exclamation of surprise
not have a penny to bless oneself with to be desperately poor

adj.

late 12c., “supremely happy,” also “consecrated” (c.1200), past participle adjective from bless (v.). Reversed or ironic sense of “cursed, damned” is recorded from 1806. Related: Blessedly; blessedness.

Old English bletsian, bledsian, Northumbrian bloedsian “to consecrate, make holy, give thanks,” from Proto-Germanic *blodison “hallow with blood, mark with blood,” from *blotham “blood” (see blood).

Originally a blood sprinkling on pagan altars. This word was chosen in Old English bibles to translate Latin benedicere and Greek eulogein, both of which have a ground sense of “to speak well of, to praise,” but were used in Scripture to translate Hebrew brk “to bend (the knee), worship, praise, invoke blessings.” Meaning shifted in late Old English toward “pronounce or make happy,” by resemblance to unrelated bliss. No cognates in other languages. Related: Blessed; blessing.