Having a red or pink face, usually because you're embarrassed or shy.
From Old English 'blyscan' meaning 'to blush or redden.' The word combines 'blus-' (to flush with color) and the suffix '-ing' (present participle). The meaning has remained consistent since medieval times, referring to the involuntary reddening of the face from emotion.
Blushing is one of the few emotions uniquely visible on our faces—Charles Darwin spent years studying it because it's so automatic that we can't really control it even when we try. It's like your body tattling on your feelings!
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