blot
gb/blˈɑt/ us/blˈɑt/
B2
English
~ 9700
folt, paca, szégyenfolt, felitat, eltakar, kitöröl az emlékezetéből, kiűz a fejéből
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
a blot of [liquid] on [something]
He noticed a dark blot of ink on the letter.
Észrevett egy sötét tintafoltot a levélen.
A red blot of wine spread across the white tablecloth.
Vörös borfolt terjedt szét a fehér abroszon.
There was a blot of oil on the garage floor.
The report came back with blue blots all over the last page.
Learner examples
There is a black blot on my shirt.
Van egy fekete folt az ingemen.
She saw a red blot of paint on the wall.
Látott egy piros festékfoltot a falon.
He tried to clean the ink blot from the desk.
I got a big blot of coffee on my pants.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only "stain" and do not recognize that "blot" usually suggests a smaller, often darker mark, especially of ink or another liquid.
Meaning
a small dark stain or spot
Collocations
ink blot
|blot of ink
|blot of blood
|dark blot
|a blot on the page
Synonyms
stain (More common general word for an unwanted mark made by a substance on a surface.)
|
spot (Suggests a small round mark; not always caused by liquid.)
Antonyms
clean patch (Highlights that the surface has no marks or stains in that area.)
Themes
daily life
|appearance
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A small dark mark made when liquid like ink gets on something and dries there.
A small dark stain or spot caused by liquid, especially ink, falling or spreading on a surface.
NOUN
C1
2
szégyenfolt
C1
Usage pattern:
a blot on [something]
That conviction remains a serious blot on his record.
Az az elítélés továbbra is komoly szégyenfolt marad az előéletén.
The scandal was a blot on an otherwise impressive career.
A botrány szégyenfolt volt az egyébként lenyűgöző pályafutásán.
Many locals see the huge concrete tower as a blot on the landscape.
The company’s poor safety record is a blot on its name.
Learner examples
The lie was a blot on his good name.
A hazugság szégyenfolt volt a jó hírnevén.
The dirty factory is a blot on this beautiful town.
A koszos gyár szégyenfoltja ennek a gyönyörű városnak.
The mistake is a small blot on her work.
That crime will always be a blot on his record.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to say *"a blot in his record"* instead of the fixed pattern "a blot on his record". The preposition "on" is strongly preferred in this figurative use.
Meaning
a shameful mark on reputation
Collocations
a blot on his record
|a blot on her character
|a blot on the landscape
|a serious blot
|a permanent blot
Synonyms
blemish (Often suggests a small but noticeable fault that spoils an otherwise good thing.)
|
stain (Commonly used in the phrase "a stain on his/her reputation" with a very similar figurative meaning.)
Antonyms
credit (Something that shows someone in a good light, opposite of something that damages reputation.)
|
asset (A positive quality or feature that improves how something is seen, opposite of a negative blot.)
Themes
society
|evaluation
|communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A bad thing that makes a person, place, or situation seem less good than before.
Something that spoils the good reputation, record, or overall quality or appearance of a person, place, or situation.
VERB
B2
3
felitat
B1
Usage pattern:
to blot [something] with [something]
She quickly blotted the coffee spill with a paper towel.
Gyorsan felitatta a kiömlött kávét egy papírtörlővel.
Use a clean cloth to blot the stain, not rub it.
Tiszta ruhával itasd fel a foltot, ne dörzsöld.
He blotted the cut with tissue until the bleeding stopped.
After washing your face, gently blot it dry with a soft towel.
Learner examples
Please blot the table with this towel.
Kérlek, itasd fel az asztalon lévő folyadékot ezzel a törölközővel.
She blotted the wine from her shirt.
Felitatta a bort az ingéről.
He blotted his face with a paper tissue.
Blot the water from the floor before it spreads.
Common mistake:
Learners often say "rub" when cleaning up liquid, but rubbing can spread the stain. In English instructions for cleaning, "blot" is used to mean pressing and lifting, not rubbing.
Meaning
to absorb liquid by pressing
Collocations
blot the stain
|blot the excess oil
|blot the lipstick
|gently blot with a tissue
|blot the area dry
Synonyms
dab (Emphasizes light, quick pressing, often with a cloth or tissue; very close in meaning when cleaning up liquid.)
|
soak up (Focuses on absorbing liquid; does not always imply the pressing motion that "blot" suggests.)
Antonyms
wet (To make something more covered in liquid, the opposite of removing liquid by blotting.)
Themes
daily life
|household
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To press paper, cloth, or another soft thing on liquid to take the liquid away.
To remove or take up liquid from a surface by gently pressing something soft and absorbent onto it.
VERB
B2
4
eltakar
A2
Usage pattern:
to blot out [something]
Dark clouds blotted out the sun before the storm.
A sötét felhők eltakarták a napot a vihar előtt.
Thick smoke blotted out the view of the harbor.
A sűrű füst eltakarta a kikötő látványát.
The tall building blots out most of the sky from our window.
As the eclipse began, the moon slowly blotted out the bright circle of the sun.
Learner examples
Clouds blotted out the sun.
A felhők eltakarták a napot.
The big tree blots out my view of the street.
A nagy fa eltakarja az utcára nyíló kilátásomat.
Heavy smoke blotted out the city lights.
The mountain blots out the sky from here.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"cover out"* instead of the natural phrasal verb "blot out" or "block out" when talking about the sun or a view disappearing behind something.
Meaning
to cover so it’s not visible
Collocations
blot out the sun
|blot out the view
|blot out the stars
|smoke blotted out the sky
|clouds blotting out the moon
Synonyms
obscure (Slightly more formal; often used in written English to mean making something hard or impossible to see.)
|
block out (Very close in meaning; more informal and common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
reveal (To make something visible or known, opposite of covering or hiding it from view.)
Themes
nature
|perception
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To block the view of something so people cannot see it, often using the phrase "blot out".
To cover or darken something so that it cannot be seen clearly or at all, often used with “out.”
VERB
C1
5
Usage pattern:
to blot out [a memory/thought/event]
She tried to blot out the memory of the accident.
Megpróbálta kitörölni az emlékezetéből a baleset emlékét.
Years of therapy helped him blot out much of the childhood trauma.
Évek terápiája segített neki kitörölni az emlékezetéből a gyermekkori trauma nagy részét.
He drank to blot out his feelings of shame.
The company is working hard to blot out the bad publicity from last year.
Learner examples
He wants to blot out the bad memory.
Ki akarja törölni az emlékezetéből a rossz emléket.
She cannot blot out what she saw.
Nem tudja kitörölni az emlékezetéből, amit látott.
He listens to music to blot out his sad thoughts.
Time will not blot out this pain.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "blot out" with only the literal meaning of covering something you can see. In this figurative use, it is about removing a memory or feeling from your mind, not physically hiding something.
Meaning
to erase or forget completely
Collocations
blot out the memory
|blot out the past
|try to blot out
|blot out what happened
|blot out the pain
Synonyms
erase (Emphasizes complete removal, often used for written text or memories; slightly more neutral and common.)
|
block out (Common informal phrase for refusing to think about or remember something unpleasant.)
Antonyms
remember (To keep a memory active, opposite of trying to make it disappear.)
Themes
emotions
|memory
|health
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make yourself not remember or not feel something anymore, often using the phrase "blot out".
To remove something such as a memory, feeling, or thought so that it is no longer remembered or strongly felt, often used with “out.”
Grammar
Dictionary form
blot
IPA
GB/blˈɑt/
US/blˈɑt/
Syllables & stress
blot (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (blot)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: blot
- Plural: blots
Verb
- Base: blot
- 3rd Person Singular: blots
- Present Participle: blotting
- Past: blotted
Word family
Forms
blots
noun
blotting
verb
blotted
verb
Related words
blotch
noun
blotchy
adjective
Advanced or less common
blotter
noun
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: blotting Verb
- Irregular past: blotted Verb
Expressions
a blot on [someone’s] copybook
1/ə blˈɑt ˈɔn sˈʌmwˌʌnz kəpibˈʊk/
idiom
a mark against a good record
A bad thing that someone does which harms their good record or reputation.
Examples
- The arrest was a blot on his copybook after years of loyal service.
- Failing that exam was the only blot on an otherwise perfect copybook.
a blot on [something]
1/ə blˈɑt ˈɔn sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
a negative factor that spoils
A bad part of a person, group, or thing that makes it seem less good.
Examples
- The high crime rate is a blot on the city’s image.
- Critics called the policy a blot on the government’s record.
a blot on the landscape
1/ə blˈɑt ˈɔn ðə lˈændskˌeɪp/
idiom
an ugly thing spoiling scenery
A building or thing that looks very ugly and makes a beautiful place look worse.
Examples
- Many people see the new shopping mall as a blot on the landscape.
- The factory chimneys are a real blot on the landscape in this valley.
blot out
1/blˈɑt ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
to hide or erase completely
To make something impossible to see or hard to remember, often by covering it or pushing it out of your mind.
Examples
- Thick fog blotted out the city below.
- He closed his eyes, trying to blot out the sound of the screaming.
- New buildings are blotting out the memories of the old town.
blot up
1/blˈɑt ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
to soak up spilled liquid
To clean up liquid by pressing a cloth, paper towel, or something soft on it so the liquid goes into it.
Examples
- Use a sponge to blot up the oil from the counter.
- She quickly blotted up the milk before it ran off the table.
ink blot
1/ˈɪŋk blˈɑt/
fixed phrase
a dark ink stain or spot
A dark, often strange-shaped mark made by ink on paper or another surface.
Examples
- There was a large ink blot in the middle of the page.
- The psychologist showed him an ink blot and asked what he saw.
ink blot test
1/ˈɪŋk blˈɑt tˈɛst/
fixed phrase
technical
psychological test using ink blots
A psychology test in which a person looks at pictures of ink blots and says what they look like, so the doctor can learn about the person’s mind.
Examples
- The therapist used an ink blot test as part of the evaluation.
- Many people know the famous ink blot test from movies.