What Does “Blot sb out” Mean?
“Blot sb out” means to completely remove or erase someone from memory or sight. It can also mean to ignore or exclude someone deliberately.
Introduction
The phrase “blot sb out” is a useful phrasal verb in English that means to erase or remove someone mentally or visually. When you blot someone out, you try to forget them or push them away from your thoughts. This can happen after a bad experience or when you want to avoid thinking about a person. The blot sb out meaning is often connected to emotional or mental removal rather than physical removal. It’s a phrase commonly used in spoken and written English to describe the act of ignoring or forgetting someone intentionally.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: blot somebody out
- Type: transitive
- Level: B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
- Short meaning: to erase or forget someone; to ignore someone
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Blot sb out” is a transitive phrasal verb, which means it always needs an object (someone). It is inseparable, so the object comes immediately after “blot” and before “out.” For example:
- Correct: She blotted him out of her mind.
- Incorrect: She blotted out him.
Pattern:
- blot + somebody + out
How to Use “Blot sb out”?
You use “blot sb out” when talking about forgetting or ignoring someone on purpose. It can describe emotional distancing or trying to erase memories of a person. For example, after a breakup, a person might say they want to blot their ex out of their mind. It’s often used in personal, emotional contexts and sometimes in literature to describe mental or emotional erasure.
Examples
- After the argument, he tried to blot her out of his thoughts.
- She blotted him out of her life to move on.
- It’s hard to blot out painful memories, but time helps.
- He blotted out all the distractions to focus on his work.
- Blot sb out in a sentence: I decided to blot him out because he only caused me pain.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: I blotted out him from my mind.
- Correct: I blotted him out from my mind.
- Incorrect: She blotted out her friend.
- Correct: She blotted her friend out.
Differences / Synonyms
Similar phrasal verbs include “wipe sb out,” “block sb out,” and “erase sb.” However, “wipe sb out” often means to destroy or exhaust someone physically or emotionally, while “block sb out” means to ignore or avoid thinking about someone. “Erase sb” is more literal but less common in everyday speech.
“Blot sb out” focuses on mental or emotional removal, making it more about forgetting or deliberately ignoring someone than physical harm.
Common Collocations
- blot sb out of memory
- blot sb out of mind
- blot sb out of life
- blot painful memories out
- blot distractions out
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of blot sb out:
Real-life Dialogue
Alice: I still think about him sometimes.
John: Maybe you should try to blot him out. It might help you feel better.
Alice: You’re right. I want to blot him out of my mind and move on.
Practice
Fill in the blank with the correct form of “blot sb out”:
After the fight, she decided to ________ her old friend ________ her life.
- a) blot out
- b) blot her out
- c) blot out her
- d) blot her
Answer: b) blot her out
FAQs
- What does “blot sb out” mean? It means to erase or forget someone intentionally.
- Is “blot sb out” separable? No, the object must come between “blot” and “out.”
- Can I use “blot sb out” in formal writing? It is more common in informal or literary contexts.
- What is the difference between “blot sb out” and “block sb out”? “Blot sb out” means to forget or erase someone mentally, while “block sb out” means to avoid thinking about someone.
- Can “blot sb out” be used physically? It is mostly used for mental or emotional removal, not physical.
