What does blithe mean?
Word: Blithe
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Blithe means showing no worry at all, even when there may be good reason for some.
Synonyms: light-hearted
How do you spell blithe?
Syllables: blithe
Tricky part: Many pupils put a y after the l, as in style, because the long i sound invites it. The word has an i.
Watch out for: blyth, blighthe
Memory tip: Say to yourself, 'I feel blithe'. The capital I reminds you which vowel to write.
Blithe in a sentence
Example 1: Rahul set off on the trek with a blithe promise that the rain would stop.
Example 2: She gave a blithe shrug when we told her the bus was already full.
Example 3: His blithe confidence lasted until he saw how long the essay had to be.
Fun Fact
Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem To a Skylark, from 1820, opens by calling the singing bird a blithe spirit.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is correct. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. gregarius 2. ubiquitus 3. blithe 4. eloquant
a) seeming to be found everywhere at once
b) untroubled in a breezy, easy-going way
c) able to speak clearly and movingly
d) fond of being with other people
Show answer
b) untroubled in a breezy, easy-going way. Each of the others has lost or changed a vowel: ubiquitous, eloquent, gregarious.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word blithe as used in the sentence:
With a blithe smile, Kabir strolled into the science fair as if nothing could go wrong.
a) cheerful
b) carefree
c) casual
d) anxious
Show answer
d) anxious. Someone full of worry is the reverse of Kabir at the fair; the rest all suit his mood.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Zoya left her homework for the morning with a ibhetl laugh and ran out to play.
a) brittle
b) blotted
c) bright
d) blithe
Show answer
d) blithe. The six letters give only this word: bright has a g and brittle has an r.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
blitthe
a) t
b) b
c) h
d) l
Show answer
a) t. One t is enough here.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A blithe remark is most likely to be made by someone who
a) is angry about a problem and wants it solved
b) has not stopped to think about any problems
c) has been asked to write down a problem in detail
d) has spent a long night fretting over a problem
Show answer
b) has not stopped to think about any problems
2. Which phrase sits most naturally with the word blithe?
a) a careless wave of the hand
b) a nervous bite of the lip
c) a heavy sigh of regret
d) a long stare of suspicion
Show answer
a) a careless wave of the hand
