blinder: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Medium (in certain contexts)Informal
Quick answer
What does “blinder” mean?
A performance or action of outstanding excellence, often in sports.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A performance or action of outstanding excellence, often in sports.
A remarkable, spectacular, or outstanding piece of work or performance; also used in some regional dialects to mean a state of drunkenness or a person who is blind (rare/dated).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is primarily British and Commonwealth English. The positive sporting sense is largely unknown in American English, where 'a blinder' is not idiomatic. Americans might instead say "he had a career game" or "she played a gem."
Connotations
Strongly positive connotation in UK sports commentary. Can be slightly dated or very colloquial outside of that specific context.
Frequency
Frequent in UK/Irish/Australian sports media and informal conversation about performance. Very low to zero frequency in American English in the primary sense.
Grammar
How to Use “blinder” in a Sentence
[Subject] + play/pull off/put in + a + blinder[Possessive] + blinder + of a + performance/matchVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “blinder” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A (as a verb, 'blinder' is not standard). The verb is 'to blind'.
American English
- N/A
adverb
British English
- N/A ('blinder' is not used as an adverb).
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A (the adjective is 'blind'). 'Blinder' as a comparative ('blinder than a bat') is rare/nonstandard.
American English
- N/A
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Very rare, but metaphorically possible: 'Our sales team played a blinder last quarter.' (Used only by speakers familiar with the UK idiom).
Academic
Not used.
Everyday
Common in informal UK/Irish/Australian talk about sports or any task done exceptionally well.
Technical
Not used.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “blinder”
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “blinder”
- Using it in American English where it will not be understood.
- Using it in formal writing.
- Confusing it with 'blunder' (a serious mistake).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is informal and primarily used in spoken language and sports commentary.
Yes, but it's less common. You can use it metaphorically for any outstanding performance (e.g., in a presentation, exam, or project), especially in UK/Irish/Australian English.
In informal British sports talk, common opposites are 'stinker' or 'howler', meaning a very poor performance or a bad mistake.
It's metaphorical, suggesting the performance is so dazzling or brilliant that it figuratively 'blinds' the opposition or spectators with its quality.
A performance or action of outstanding excellence, often in sports.
Blinder: in British English it is pronounced /ˈblaɪn.də(r)/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈblaɪn.dɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Play a blinder”
- “Pull off a blinder”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a football player scoring a goal so brilliant that the flash of light from the net 'blinds' everyone watching – that's a BLINDER.
Conceptual Metaphor
EXCELLENCE IS A DAZZLING/OVERWHELMING LIGHT.
Practice
Quiz
In which variety of English is the phrase 'to play a blinder' most commonly used and understood?