blindly
gb/blˈaɪndli/ us/blˈaɪndli/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B2
property
1
without thinking or questioning
without thinking carefully or asking questions
Usage pattern:
[do something] blindly; blindly [follow/trust/accept/believe] [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Don't use it just to mean 'quickly'; it means 'without careful judgment' (often a negative idea).
Synonyms
unquestioningly (Emphasizes not questioning authority or instructions.)
|
uncritically (Emphasizes not evaluating evidence or quality.)
|
mindlessly (Stronger; suggests little awareness or attention.)
Antonyms
critically (In a way that evaluates and questions.)
|
thoughtfully (With careful consideration.)
|
cautiously (With careful attention to risks.)
Collocations
blindly follow
|blindly obey
|blindly trust
|blindly accept
|blindly believe
|blindly support
|blindly agree
|blindly adhere to rules
|blindly imitate
|blindly repeat
Themes
decision_making
|thinking
|social_relationships
Examples
- She refused to blindly accept the explanation and asked for evidence.
- Don’t blindly follow advice you read online.
- He had blindly trusted the salesperson and later regretted it.
Learner examples
- I don’t want to blindly follow rules.
- He blindly believed the rumor.
adverb
B1
property
2
without being able to see
without seeing
Usage pattern:
move/feel/search blindly; blindly [reach/grope] for [something]
Common mistake:
In this sense, it usually describes actions like groping, feeling, or searching in the dark, not ordinary movement in good light.
Synonyms
in the dark (Common phrase meaning without light; not always literal blindness.)
|
without looking (Often intentional (e.g., reaching into a bag) rather than inability to see.)
Antonyms
visually (Using sight rather than touch or guesswork.)
|
with eyes open (Emphasizes that you can see while doing it.)
Collocations
grope blindly
|stumble blindly
|feel blindly
|reach blindly
|search blindly
|fumble blindly
|wander blindly
|crawl blindly
|grope blindly for the switch
|stumble blindly through the dark
Themes
daily_life
|body_and_health
|movement
Examples
- In the blackout, we stumbled blindly down the hallway.
- He reached blindly behind the sofa for his phone.
- She groped blindly for the light switch.
Learner examples
- It was dark, so I walked blindly.
- He reached blindly for his keys.
adverb
B2
property
3
without a plan or direction
without a clear plan or enough information
Usage pattern:
[do something] blindly; blindly [search/try/experiment/invest]
Common mistake:
This is different from 'randomly' when there is a goal but no guidance (trial and error).
Synonyms
randomly (Focuses on chance rather than lack of knowledge or guidance.)
|
aimlessly (Focuses on having no clear purpose or direction.)
|
haphazardly (Suggests messy or poorly organized actions.)
Antonyms
systematically (In an organized, methodical way.)
|
deliberately (With intention and planning.)
Collocations
blindly search
|blindly try
|blindly experiment
|blindly guess
|blindly invest
|blindly click
|blindly send emails
|blindly apply
|blindly change settings
|blindly proceed
Themes
decision_making
|work
|technology
Examples
- They were blindly changing settings until something finally worked.
- Don’t blindly apply for every job; tailor your applications.
- He was blindly guessing the password after forgetting it.
Learner examples
- I don’t want to blindly guess.
- She blindly tried different answers.
Grammar
Dictionary form
blindly
IPA
GB/blˈaɪndli/
US/blˈaɪndli/
Syllables & stress
blindly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (blindly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: blindly
- Plural: blindlies
Word family
Expressions
accept [something] blindly
1/æksˈɛpt sˈʌmθɪŋ blˈaɪndli/
fixed phrase
accept without checking
to accept something without checking if it is true
Examples
- Don’t accept statistics blindly—check the source.
- She accepted the offer blindly and later discovered hidden fees.
- He accepted the excuse blindly because he didn’t want an argument.
believe [something] blindly
1/bɪlˈiv sˈʌmθɪŋ blˈaɪndli/
fixed phrase
believe without questioning
to believe something without proof
Examples
- People will believe anything blindly if it confirms their fears.
- Don’t blindly believe everything you read on social media.
- He blindly believed the rumor and spread it at work.
follow [someone/something] blindly
1/fˈɑloʊ sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ blˈaɪndli/
fixed phrase
obey without questioning
to do what someone says without thinking
Examples
- You shouldn’t follow influencers blindly.
- The team followed the plan blindly, even when conditions changed.
- He followed his friends blindly and got into trouble.
go into [something] blindly
1/ɡˈoʊ ˈɪntu sˈʌmθɪŋ blˈaɪndli/
fixed phrase
start without preparation
to start something without knowing enough
Examples
- Don’t go into the negotiation blindly—research the market first.
- They went into the partnership blindly and underestimated the costs.
- I won’t go into surgery blindly; I want a second opinion.
trust [someone] blindly
1/tɹˈʌst sˈʌmwˌʌn blˈaɪndli/
fixed phrase
trust without evidence
to trust someone without checking
Examples
- I trusted him blindly and signed the contract without reading it.
- She won’t trust anyone blindly after being scammed.
- If you trust a stranger blindly, you can get hurt.