blithe

From Middle English blithe, from Old English blīþe (“blithe, joyous, cheerful, pleasant; gracious, well-disposed, friendly, kind; agreeable, willing; quiet, peaceful, gentle”), from Proto-Germanic *blīþiz (“mild, pleasing, friendly”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlī- (“light, pleasant, fine”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to shine”). Cognate Scots blithe (“joyous, cheerful, happy, well-pleased”), North Frisian blid (“happy, glad”), Saterland Frisian bliede (“happy, joyous, blithe”), West Frisian bliid (“glad, happy, joyful, joyous”), Dutch blijde, blij (“blithe, happy, joyous, glad”), German dialectal blid, blied (“glad, happy, cheerful”), Danish blid (“gentle”), Icelandic blíður (“gentle, kind, friendly, mild”). Related to bliss.

• IPA^(key): /blaɪð/
• Rhymes: -aɪð

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blithe (comparative blither, superlative blithest)

1. (dated or literary) Happy, cheerful.

   Should he return, that troop so blithe and bold,

   With purple robes inwrought, and stiff with gold,

   Precipitant in fear would wing their flight,

   And curse their cumbrous pride's unwieldy weight.

   The Odyssey trans. Alexander Pope

2. Indifferent, careless, showing a lack of concern.

   She had a blithe disregard of cultures outside the United States.

• blitheful
• blitheless
• blithely
• blithen
• blitheness
• blithesome

• bliss

• thible

From Old English blīþe, from Proto-Germanic *blīþiz. Cognate with Danish blid, Dutch blij, Icelandic blíður. Compare bliss.

• IPA^(key): /blaɪð/
• Rhymes: -aɪð

blithe (comparative blither, superlative blithest)

1. Happy

A howp ye haed a blithe birthday - I hope you had a happy birthday