blink

blink — verb

1. to move your eyelids down and up in a quick motion, either without meaning to or

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to move your eyelids down and up in a quick motion, either without meaning to or on purpose.

例句

Priya blinked twice when the camera flash hit her face.

blink + number of times

Dust blew into Omar's eye, and he kept blinking at the bus stop.

同義詞
  • wink

    usually deliberate and done with one eye to send a message

  • bat

    less common and often used with eyelashes in a playful or attractive way

  • flutter

    more literary and suggests very light, repeated eyelid movement

反義詞
  • stare

    to keep your eyes open and look fixedly without blinking much

文法句型

blink

blink your eyes

用法筆記

Often followed by numbers or adverbs: blink once, blink twice, blink hard. Unlike 'wink', this sense normally involves both eyes and often happens automatically.

常見錯誤

❌She blinked at me from across the room.
✅She winked at me from across the room.
💡a wink is a deliberate signal; a blink is usually just eye movement.
❌The smoke made me blink my eye.
✅The smoke made me blink.' / 'The smoke made me blink my eyes.
💡with the transitive pattern, English normally uses the plural 'eyes'.

2. if a light or signal blinks, it keeps appearing and disappearing for short momen

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

if a light or signal blinks, it keeps appearing and disappearing for short moments.

例句

A red light blinked above the hotel lift all night.

subject: light

The router blinked green after Mei turned it back on.

blink + colour

同義詞
  • flash

    often stronger and brighter than 'blink'

  • flicker

    suggests an unsteady weak light, often not fully regular

  • pulse

    often used for electronic lights that brighten and dim in a pattern

反義詞
  • glow

    to give a steady soft light

  • shine steadily

    to remain on without the repeated off-on pattern

文法句型

light/signal blink

用法筆記

Used for lights, signs, screens, and warning signals, not usually for steady natural light such as the sun. Distinguish from sense 1, where a person's eyes move.

常見錯誤

❌The lamp blinked and stayed bright.
✅The lamp blinked on and off.
💡for lights, 'blink' suggests repeated short appearances, not a steady glow.
❌The sun was blinking through the window.
✅The sun was shining through the window.
💡steady natural light normally does not 'blink'.

3. to give way in a struggle, discussion, or negotiation before the other person or

3.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to give way in a struggle, discussion, or negotiation before the other person or group does.

例句

After three days of talks, the smaller union blinked first.

blink first

Noa refused to cut the price, waiting for the buyer to blink.

wait for + somebody + to blink

同義詞
  • give in

    the most common everyday choice

  • back down

    often stresses giving up a strong position after pressure

  • yield

    more formal and common in writing

反義詞

文法句型

blink first

wait for somebody to blink

用法筆記

Common in business, politics, and arguments, often with 'first'. The subject is usually one side in a conflict, not a person making a physical eye movement.

常見錯誤

❌She blinked him in the negotiation.
✅She made him blink in the negotiation.
💡this figurative sense is intransitive; the side that gives way is the subject.
❌I blinked to his demand.
✅I gave in to his demand.' / 'I blinked in the argument.
💡this sense does not normally take 'to' after the verb.

blink — noun