blight
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A diseased condition suffered by a plant.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
blytIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈblaɪt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
figurative
Something that impedes development or growth, or spoils any other aspect of life.
figurativespecifically
A rundown and unsightly condition of an urban area; also, such an area.
phytopathology
A diseased condition suffered by a plant; specifically, a complete and rapid chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as floral organs, leaves, branches, or twigs, especially one caused by a fungus; a mildew, a rust, a smut.
by extension
A state of cloudy, humid weather.
verb
transitivefigurative
To impede the development or growth of (an aspect of life); to damage, to ruin, to spoil.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (phytopathology) A diseased condition suffered by a plant; specifically, a complete and rapid chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as floral organs, leaves, branches, or twigs, especially one caused by a fungus; a mildew, a rust, a smut.
Used this way, blight is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It sounds natural in ordinary conversation and in expressive writing alike.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Everyday but emotionally strong
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use blight
- “Too much rain may blight the garden with mold.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A phase of fire blight in which cankers appear.
A disease of apple trees.
A blight of bean plants.
A disease of beet plants.
A disease of Scotch pines.
A disease affecting the canes of various bush fruits (e.g., raspberries or currants).
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.