What does blart mean?
Blart is an informal British English verb meaning to cry or weep noisily and uncontrollably — essentially, to blubber. It describes the kind of loud, unrestrained crying associated with toddlers, tantrums, or overwhelming emotion, and it often carries a faintly comic or dismissive edge when applied to adults who are seen as overreacting. Someone might 'blart their eyes out' at a sad film, or be teased for 'blarting like a baby'. The word is onomatopoeic in flavour, echoing the sound of hiccuping sobs, and remains firmly outside formal vocabulary: it belongs to everyday speech rather than polished prose. Though largely confined to Britain, its vividness has given it a small cult following among word enthusiasts. For writers seeking a term more colourful than 'cry' but less harsh than 'bawl', blart fills a useful niche, capturing both the sound and the undignified quality of noisy weeping.
verbTo cry or weep noisily and uncontrollably; to blubber.
- To cry or weep loudly and uncontrollably; to blubber
"The toddler blarted the whole way home after dropping her ice cream."
"He started blarting the moment he saw the bill for the car repairs."
"The puppy blarted all night on its first night away from its mother."
As a rare noun, 'a blart' can denote an instance of noisy crying, though this usage is uncommon.
"He let out a blart before composing himself."
'Blart' is what Brits call that loud, undignified crying you can't hold back — think tantrum-level tears.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blart
Blart emerged in British English as an expressive, onomatopoeic formation imitating the sound of loud sobbing or blubbering. It is related in spirit to other imitative words of distress such as 'blub', with which it shares both sound symbolism and meaning. Its precise first attestation is uncertain, though it appears in 19th- and early 20th-century dialectal and colloquial sources from northern England. The word has remained regional and informal throughout its history.
Related word forms
How blart is actually used
Informal and colloquial, used almost exclusively in British English. Often carries a mildly humorous or dismissive tone when describing someone crying excessively or self-pityingly. Rarely used in formal writing.
Easily confused with blart
Blurt means to utter something suddenly without thinking, while blart means to cry noisily.