# bless you

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bless-you
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Said to someone who has just sneezed, as a polite remark.

## Examples

- She sneezed loudly, and I said bless you.
- When my colleague sneezed during the meeting, everyone turned and said bless you at the same time.
- The old woman, sitting alone in the empty church, sneezed into her handkerchief; the priest paused his reading and quietly said bless you.

## Origin

A shortened form of the Middle English *God blesse you* or *God blisse you*, incorporating the name of God as the source of the petition. The expression emerged as a standard social formula from these Middle English antecedents.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.