Made unclear or indistinct in outline or detail; lacking sharpness or definition, either literally in vision or figuratively in understanding.
From the verb 'blur,' possibly of imitative origin, first appearing in the 16th century meaning 'to make dim or indistinct.' The word may relate to 'blear' (to dim) or represent the sound of something moving quickly past.
The concept of 'blurred lines' has become a powerful metaphor for moral and ethical ambiguity in modern discourse, moving far beyond its original visual meaning. Interestingly, our brains constantly deal with literally blurred vision - only a tiny central portion of our visual field is actually sharp, with the rest filled in by neural processing.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.