blankness
gb/blˈæŋknəs/ us/blˈæŋknəs/
B2
English
üresség, kifejezéstelenség, kihagyás, tartalmatlanság, kopárság, sivárság
NOUN
B2
1
üresség
B1
Usage pattern:
the blankness of [a page/screen/space]
The blankness of the document made it hard to know where to start.
A dokumentum üressége miatt nehéz volt tudni, hol kezdje az ember.
After the slideshow ended, the blankness of the screen felt oddly quiet.
Miután véget ért a diavetítés, a képernyő üressége furcsán csendesnek hatott.
He kept flipping pages, unsettled by the blankness at the end of the notebook.
Learner examples
I looked at the blankness of the page.
A lap ürességét néztem.
The screen went dark, and there was only blankness.
Elsötétült a képernyő, és csak üresség maradt.
Common mistake:
Learners may use *blankness* where *blank* (adjective) is more natural (e.g., “a blank page,” not “a blankness page”).
Meaning
empty, unmarked surface or space
Collocations
the blankness of the page
|the blankness of the screen
|sheer blankness
|total blankness
|stare at the blankness
|fill the blankness
|sudden blankness
|unbroken blankness
Synonyms
emptiness (general lack of content; not necessarily a blank surface)
|
void (stronger, more dramatic sense of emptiness)
Antonyms
fullness (having content or being filled)
|
busyness (having many details or things present)
Themes
writing
|technology
|daily_life
Definition
when something is empty and has nothing on it
The quality of being blank, with nothing written, shown, or filled in.
NOUN
C1
2
üresség
B2
Usage pattern:
the blankness in [someone]'s face/eyes
She answered with a blankness that made it impossible to tell what she meant.
Olyan kifejezéstelenséggel válaszolt, hogy lehetetlen volt megmondani, mire gondol.
For a moment, there was blankness in his eyes, as if he hadn’t understood.
Egy pillanatra kifejezéstelenség jelent meg a szemében, mintha nem értette volna.
The photo captures the blankness on his face during the announcement.
Learner examples
He looked at me with blankness.
Kifejezéstelenül nézett rám.
I saw blankness in her face.
Kifejezéstelenséget láttam az arcán.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse *blankness* (no expression) with *coldness* (unfriendly) or *blindness* (cannot see).
Meaning
lack of facial expression
Collocations
the blankness in his eyes
|a look of blankness
|complete blankness
|sudden blankness
|mask of blankness
|wear blankness
|blankness replaced by a smile
Synonyms
expressionlessness (more explicit and formal; less common in everyday speech)
|
impassivity (suggests controlled lack of reaction)
Antonyms
expressiveness (clearly showing emotion or reaction)
|
animation (lively, visibly engaged expression)
Themes
emotions
|communication
|people
Definition
when someone’s face shows no feeling
An absence of emotion or reaction shown on someone’s face or in their eyes.
NOUN
B2
3
kihagyás
B2
Usage pattern:
a moment/second of blankness
In the middle of the presentation, a moment of blankness made him lose his place.
Az előadás közepén egy pillanatnyi kihagyás miatt elvesztette a fonalat.
I had a sudden blankness and couldn’t remember her name.
Hirtelen kihagyott az agyam, és nem jutott eszembe a neve.
The question was easy, but blankness took over during the exam.
Learner examples
I had a moment of blankness.
Volt egy pillanatnyi kihagyásom.
For a second, I felt blankness.
Egy másodpercre teljesen leblokkoltam.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse *blankness* where *I forgot* or *I blanked* is more natural in casual speech.
Meaning
temporary inability to think
Collocations
a moment of blankness
|a second of blankness
|sudden blankness
|complete blankness
|experience blankness
|recover from blankness
|blankness hit me
Synonyms
brain freeze (informal; often about a sudden stop in thinking)
|
lapse (more general and can last longer than a moment)
Antonyms
clarity (thinking clearly and understanding)
|
recall (successfully remembering)
Themes
mind
|education
|health
Definition
a short time when you cannot think or remember
A brief period when someone cannot remember, think of, or understand something.
NOUN
C1
4
üresség
B2
Usage pattern:
the blankness of [a statement/plot/design]
Behind the confident tone, there was a blankness to his argument.
A magabiztos hangnem mögött az érvelése valójában meglehetősen tartalmatlan volt.
Critics complained about the blankness of the dialogue and the predictable plot.
A kritikusok a párbeszédek tartalmatlanságára és a kiszámítható cselekményre panaszkodtak.
The campaign slogan had a polished sound but a certain blankness.
Learner examples
The story had blankness, so it felt boring.
A történet tartalmatlan volt, ezért unalmasnak hatott.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with physical emptiness; here it means ‘no content/ideas’.
Meaning
lack of meaning or substance
Collocations
the blankness of the dialogue
|the blankness of the plot
|intellectual blankness
|emotional blankness
|sheer blankness
|air of blankness
|sense of blankness
Synonyms
vacuity (more formal; emphasizes shallow or empty ideas)
|
hollowness (suggests something seems impressive but lacks real substance)
Antonyms
depth (richness of meaning or ideas)
|
substance (real content and value)
Themes
communication
|media
|art
Definition
when something has no real ideas or meaning
A quality of being vague, dull, or lacking real content, ideas, or purpose.
NOUN
C1
5
üresség
B1
Usage pattern:
a feeling/sense of blankness
After the breakup, she moved through the days in a kind of blankness.
A szakítás után valami különös ürességben élte a napjait.
He described a persistent blankness that made everything seem distant.
Egy állandó ürességet írt le, amely miatt minden távolinak tűnt.
The shock wore off, replaced by a quiet blankness.
Learner examples
I felt blankness after the bad news.
A rossz hír után ürességet éreztem.
Common mistake:
Learners may use *depression* when they only mean temporary numbness; *blankness* is broader and not a diagnosis.
Meaning
emotional numbness or emptiness
Collocations
a sense of blankness
|a feeling of blankness
|emotional blankness
|inner blankness
|profound blankness
|sink into blankness
|blankness afterward
Synonyms
numbness (more common; can be emotional or physical)
|
emptiness (broader; can be emotional or physical)
Antonyms
joy (clear positive feeling instead of numbness)
|
intensity (strong emotion rather than absence of feeling)
Themes
emotions
|mental_health
Definition
when you feel no emotion
A feeling of being emotionally empty or numb, as if nothing is felt strongly.
NOUN
C1
6
Usage pattern:
the blankness of [a wall/room/design]
They added framed prints to reduce the blankness of the hallway.
Bekeretezett képeket tettek fel, hogy csökkentsék a folyosó kopárságát.
The blankness of the lobby made the building feel unfinished.
Az előcsarnok kopársága miatt az épület befejezetlennek hatott.
A single bright rug broke up the blankness of the white room.
Learner examples
The wall had blankness, so we hung a picture.
A fal túl kopár volt, ezért felakasztottunk rá egy képet.
Common mistake:
Learners may prefer *plainness* in many cases; *blankness* often suggests something feels empty or unfinished.
Meaning
plain, undecorated appearance
Collocations
the blankness of the wall
|the blankness of the room
|visual blankness
|design blankness
|stark blankness
|unrelieved blankness
|blankness broken by artwork
Synonyms
plainness (more neutral; less suggestion of emptiness)
|
bareness (emphasizes lack of objects or decoration)
Antonyms
ornamentation (decorative details added)
|
colorfulness (many colors/patterns rather than plain)
Themes
design
|daily_life
Definition
when something looks plain and has no decoration
A plain quality, with little color, pattern, or decoration.
Grammar
Dictionary form
blankness
IPA
GB/blˈæŋknəs/
US/blˈæŋknəs/
Syllables & stress
blank - ness (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (blank)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: blankness
- Plural: blankness
Word family
Core family
blank
adjective A2
blankly
adverb
Expressions
a blank look
1/ə blˈæŋk lˈʊk/
fixed phrase
expressionless face showing no understanding
a face that shows no feeling or understanding
Examples
- When I mentioned the band, he gave me a blank look.
- She stared at the form with a blank look, unsure what to write.
- The joke got only blank looks from the audience.
Learner examples
- He gave me a blank look.
a blank stare
1/ə blˈæŋk stˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
fixed, expressionless look
a long look with no expression
Examples
- He responded with a blank stare, as if he hadn’t heard me.
- After the accident, she sat there with a blank stare.
- My suggestion was met with blank stares around the table.
Learner examples
- She gave a blank stare.
blank check
1/blˈæŋk t͡ʃˈɛk/
fixed phrase
unlimited permission or money
permission to spend or do anything
Examples
- The board refused to give the CEO a blank check for new acquisitions.
- Taxpayers don’t want to write a blank check for the project.
- In the contract, the client effectively gave them a blank check to change the design.
blank slate
1/blˈæŋk slˈeɪt/
idiom
Without prior experience or influence
A person or thing with no experience or history, ready to be shaped or taught.
Examples
- She approached the job as a blank slate, ready to learn everything from scratch.
- The new policy starts with a blank slate for all employees.
blank slate
1/blˈæŋk slˈeɪt/
idiom
fresh start with no history
a new start with nothing decided yet
Examples
- After the rebrand, the company wanted to start with a blank slate.
- I moved to a new city to begin with a blank slate.
- The coach treated every tryout as a blank slate.
Learner examples
- I want to start with a blank slate.
draw a blank
1/dɹˈɔ ə blˈæŋk/
idiom
informal
Fail to remember or find answer
To try but not be able to remember something or find an answer.
Examples
- I tried to remember his name, but I drew a blank.
- She drew a blank when asked about the meeting details.
draw a blank
1/dɹˈɔ ə blˈæŋk/
idiom
find nothing; get no answer
to try but find nothing
Examples
- I tried to remember his last name, but I drew a blank.
- The police questioned several witnesses and drew a blank.
- We searched online for hours and still drew a blank.
Learner examples
- I drew a blank when I tried to remember her name.
go blank
1/ɡˈoʊ blˈæŋk/
fixed phrase
suddenly forget or stop thinking
to suddenly forget what to say or do
Examples
- I went blank when the interviewer asked me why I wanted the job.
- Halfway through her speech, she went blank and had to check her notes.
- Don’t worry if you go blank on one question—move to the next.
Learner examples
- I went blank in the exam.
- He went blank and stopped talking.
leave [something] blank
1/lˈiv sˈʌmθɪŋ blˈæŋk/
fixed phrase
not fill in a space
to not write anything in a space
Examples
- If the question doesn’t apply to you, leave it blank.
- Please don’t leave the signature line blank.
- He left the date blank because he wasn’t sure.
Learner examples
- I left the last question blank.