Word
blur
US/ˈbɫɝ/
UK/blˈɜː/
Definitions
01to make or become unclear
B1 · Intermediate
v. to make something difficult to see clearly, or to become fuzzy and out of focus.
v. to make or become indistinct, hazy, or lacking in sharp outlines. Often used both transitively and intransitively.
“The heavy rain started to blur the driver's view of the road ahead.”
“The tears in her eyes began to blur the printed words on the page until the entire letter became unreadable.”
Usage
Can be used for physical sight or abstract ideas like memories.
02to make less distinct
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to make the difference between two things less clear.
v. to make the boundaries between two different concepts or categories less distinct.
“Modern technology often blurs the line between work life and home life.”
“The new legislation effectively blurs the distinction between private contractors and full-time employees, creating significant confusion for tax purposes.”
Usage
Frequently used with 'the lines' or 'the boundaries'.
Antonyms
03an indistinct image
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. something that you cannot see clearly because it is moving fast or is out of focus.
n. a shape or area that is seen unclearly, typically due to rapid motion or optical deficiency.
“The speeding car was just a silver blur as it passed us on the highway.”
“Without his glasses, the faces of the people in the front row were nothing more than a beige blur to the speaker.”
Antonyms
04confused or clueless
C1 · Advanced Informal · Dialect
adj. feeling confused or not knowing what is happening around you.
adj. describing a state of being confused, slow to understand, or lacking situational awareness.
“I was so blur this morning that I tried to open my house door with my car keys.”
“He is always so blur during the morning briefings that we have to explain the tasks to him twice.”
Teaching tip
This usage is specific to Colloquial Singaporean English (Singlish) and Malaysian English; it is not used in standard British or American English.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “blur” in context.
Noun
01. boundary blur
“Working from home can cause a boundary blur between your professional and personal life.”
noun + noun
Etymology
From earlier blurre, probably an alteration of blear, from Middle English bleren, from Old English blerian (attested in āblered (“made bare, made bald”)), from Proto-West Germanic blaʀjan, from Proto-Germanic blazjaną (“to make pale”), from Proto-Germanic blasaz (“pale”). Compare Scots blore, bloar (“to blur, cover with blots”), Low German bleeroged (“blear-eyed”). More at blear.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
Idioms
01. blur the line
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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