# blur

/ˈbɫɝ/ (US) · /blˈɜː/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. to make or become unclear

verb · CEFR B1

to make something difficult to see clearly, or to become fuzzy and out of focus.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. to make less distinct

verb · CEFR B2

to make the difference between two things less clear.

For teachers: 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'.

### 3. an indistinct image

noun · CEFR B1

something that you cannot see clearly because it is moving fast or is out of focus.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. confused or clueless

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal · Dialect

feeling confused or not knowing what is happening around you.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The rain blurred the view from the window.
- Tears blurred her vision so she could barely read the sign.
- The rapid motion of the camera created a blur of light and color that captured the energy of the city at night.

---

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.