# blink

/ˈbɫɪŋk/ (US) · /blˈɪŋk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/blink
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to close and open eyes

verb · CEFR B1

to close and open your eyes very quickly, usually without thinking about it.

For teachers: to close and open the eyelids rapidly, either as an involuntary reflex or a voluntary action.

- The bright sunlight made her blink as she stepped out of the house.
- He had to blink several times to clear his vision after the optometrist shone the diagnostic light into his pupils.

### 2. to flash on and off

verb · CEFR B1

to shine with a light that goes on and off quickly.

For teachers: to flash on and off at regular or irregular intervals, often used of electronic indicators or distant signals.

- A small red light started to blink on the camera when the battery was low.
- The cursor continued to blink rhythmically on the empty document, as if mocking his inability to produce a single sentence of the report.

### 3. to hesitate or back down

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to show surprise or fear, or to change your mind when someone pressures you.

For teachers: to show a momentary reaction of surprise, hesitation, or concession, especially in a high-stakes confrontation.

- The director didn't even blink when I asked for a higher salary.
- In the final hours of the trade negotiations, neither side was willing to blink, leading to a temporary stalemate that frustrated the mediators.

### 4. eye movement

noun · CEFR B1

the act of closing and opening your eyes quickly.

For teachers: a single rapid closure and opening of the eyelids.

- With a quick blink, he tried to get the dust out of his eye.
- The entire sequence happened in a blink, leaving the witnesses struggling to recall the exact order of events.

### 5. a very short time

noun · CEFR B2

a very short period of time.

For teachers: an extremely brief interval of time; almost exclusively used in the idiomatic phrase 'in the blink of an eye'.

- The summer went by in the blink of an eye.
- The digital landscape can shift in the blink of an eye, rendering yesterday's cutting-edge software completely obsolete.

### 6. Blackpink fan

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang

a name for a fan of the famous music group Blackpink.

For teachers: a collective noun or identifier for a devotee of the South Korean girl group Blackpink.

- She has been a dedicated Blink since the group first started.
- The stadium was filled with thousands of Blinks waving pink lightsticks in unison as the concert began.

### 7. ice reflection

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a bright white light on the horizon caused by ice at sea.

For teachers: a bright, yellowish-white glare on the underside of clouds or on the horizon, produced by the reflection of light from distant ice.

- The sailors spotted a blink on the horizon, warning them of ice ahead.
- The navigator identified the distinct ice blink through the fog, allowing the vessel to adjust its course before encountering the pack ice floes.

## Examples

- She gave a quick blink when the bright light turned on.
- The lighthouse signal was just a tiny blink on the dark horizon, but it guided the sailors home.
- In the blink of an eye, the magician swapped the cards, leaving the audience wondering how such a physical impossibility had occurred right before them.

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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.