turn a blind eye

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turn a blind eye

/ˈtɜːn ə ˌblaɪ̯nd ˈaɪ̯/ UK
/ˈtɜːn ˌeɪ̯-/ UK
/ˈtɜɹn ə ˌblaɪ̯nd ˈaɪ̯/ Canada, US
/ˈtɜɹn ˌeɪ̯-/ Canada, US
/ˈtɜɹn ə ˌblʌɪ̯nd ˈʌɪ̯/ Canada
/ˈtɜːn ə ˌblɑe̯nd ˈɑe̯/ Australia
/ˈtɜːn ˌæɪ̯-/ Australia
/ˈtøːn ə ˌblaɪ̯nd ˈaɪ̯/ New Zealand
/ˈtøːn ˌæɪ̯-/ New Zealand
/ˈtʌɹn ə ˌblaɪ̯nd ˈaɪ̯/ Scotland
/ˈtʌɹn ə ˌblʌi̯nd ˈʌi̯/ Scotland
/ˈtʌɹn ə ˌbləi̯nd ˈəi̯/ Scotland
/ˈtʌɹn ˌe-/ Scotland
/ˈʈəːʳn a ˌblajnɖ ˈaj/ India
/ˈʈəːʳn ˌeː-/ India

Where it comes from

Probably from the idea of a person turning to look at something but not seeing it, as if their eyes are blind.

The term is frequently claimed to originate from an incident during the First Battle of Copenhagen on 2 April 1801, when Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758–1805) was ordered by Admiral Hyde Parker (1739–1807) through signal flags to discontinue naval action against a force of the Dano-Norwegian Navy. Nelson, who had been blinded in one eye early in his career, said to his flag captain Thomas Foley (1757–1833), “You know, Foley, I have only one eye—I have a right to be blind sometimes.” He then put his telescope to his blind eye and, remarking “I really do not see the signal,” continued the assault which ended in a British victory. However, this is not the source of the term as the Oxford English Dictionary records uses dating to the 17th and 18th centuries.

verb turns a blind eye · turning a blind eye · turned a blind eye · turn the blind eye

idiomatic, intransitive To deliberately or knowingly ignore, overlook, or refuse to acknowledge something, especially when improper or unpleasant; to look the other way. The mother turned a blind eye to her son’s mischief as she expected him not to repeat it.
Similar: close one's eyes, shut one's eyes, wink, connive

Translations

Every language

verb to deliberately or knowingly ignore, overlook, or refuse to acknowledge something

Español	hacer la vista gorda, hacerse de la vista gorda
한국어	눈감다 nun'gamda, 눈감아 주다 nun'gama juda, 무시하다 musihada, 모르는 척하다 moreuneun cheokhada
日本語	見て見ぬふりをする miteminufuri o suru
中文	視而不見 /视而不见 shì'érbùjiàn, 漠然置之 mòránzhìzhī, 睜一隻眼閉一隻眼 /睁一只眼闭一只眼 zhēng yī zhī yǎn bì yī zhī yǎn
Português	fazer vista grossa
Français	fermer les yeux
Deutsch	die Augen verschließen vor, ein Auge zudrücken, wegschauen, wegsehen
Italiano	chiudere un occhio
Ελληνικά	κάνω τα στραβά μάτια káno ta stravá mátia
Română	închide ochii (la ceva), se face că nu vede, se face că plouă
Русский	закрыва́ть глаза́ zakryvátʹ glazá
العربية	أَغْمَضَ العَيْنَيَنِ عَنْ ʔaḡmaḍa l-ʕaynayani ʕan
עברית	הֶעֱלִים עַיִן he'lím 'áyin

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MLA

"turn a blind eye." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/turn%20a%20blind%20eye. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

turn a blind eye. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/turn%20a%20blind%20eye

Chicago

"turn a blind eye." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/turn%20a%20blind%20eye.

BibTeX

@misc{turn_a_blind_eye_2026,
  title = {turn a blind eye},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/turn%20a%20blind%20eye},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}