Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Affected by blight; diseased or withered: Describes a plant, crop, or tree that has been damaged or killed by a specific plant disease, causing it to wither and decay.
   • Spoiled, ruined, or having growth/prosperity prevented: Describes something (e.g., an area, a plan, a life) that has been severely damaged, marred, or prevented from developing successfully.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • The farmer had to destroy the entire blighted potato crop. (The potatoes were diseased and rotting.)
  • Years of poverty and neglect have left the neighborhood a blighted area. (The area is ruined and unsuccessful.)
  • Her blighted hopes left her feeling despondent. (Her hopes were ruined.)

Advanced Usage

• "a blighted generation": a generation whose potential has been ruined or severely hampered by circumstances.
  • The war created a blighted generation, devoid of opportunity.
• "blighted existence": a life that has been spoiled or made miserable.
  • He considered his years in the factory a blighted existence.

Variants and Related Words

• Blight (noun): A plant disease, or a thing that spoils or damages something.
  • Urban blight is a serious problem for many cities.
• Blight (verb): To spoil, ruin, or affect with blight.
  • The scandal blighted his political career.
• Blightedness (noun, rare): The state of being blighted.

Synonyms

• Blighted (diseased): diseased, withered, mildewed, rotten.
• Blighted (ruined): ruined, spoiled, marred, devastated, desolate.

Related Phrases

• Blight on something: a damaging or negative influence on something.
  • Corruption is a blight on our society.
• Blight-stricken: severely affected by blight.
  • The blight-stricken orchards were a sad sight.

Adjective

1. affected by blight; anything that mars or prevents growth or prosperity
   • a blighted rose
   • blighted urban districts