What does blated mean?
Blated is the past tense and past participle of 'blate', an English verb meaning to reveal a secret through careless or indiscreet talk — in other words, to blab. The word belongs firmly to the historical layer of the language: it appears in older texts describing someone who could not keep their mouth shut, undoing plans or betraying confidences by speaking out of turn. A sentence such as 'the scheme collapsed once he blated to the authorities' captures its sense precisely. Today the word has effectively fallen out of use, surviving mainly in dictionaries, historical fiction, and discussions of obsolete vocabulary, where modern equivalents like 'blabbed', 'divulged', or 'let slip' have taken over entirely. Its interest lies partly in this very obsolescence — it offers a window into how English once described a very human failing — and partly in the risk of confusion with lookalike words such as 'belated' and 'blasted', which are entirely unrelated in meaning. For readers encountering it in older writing, understanding 'blated' clarifies passages that would otherwise seem puzzling.
verbPast tense and past participle of the now-archaic verb 'blate', meaning to reveal or disclose a secret through careless or indiscreet talk; to blab.
- (of a person) revealed a secret through indiscreet or careless talk; blabbed
"Had she not blated about the surprise party to his sister, the plan might have survived until Saturday."
"The plot was ruined the moment one of the conspirators blated to the wrong ear."
"She regretted having blated about the engagement before her grandmother had even been told."
Before people 'spilled the tea', they 'blated' — a long-lost word for letting a secret slip that has all but vanished from modern English.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blated
'Blate' as a verb, from which 'blated' derives, first appears in early modern English with the sense of blabbing or telling tales. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, though it has been linked by lexicographers to words of imitative or expressive origin describing loose, babbling speech, a family that includes 'blab' and 'blather'. It is unrelated to the separate Scottish adjective 'blate', meaning shy or timid, despite the shared spelling. The verb had largely fallen out of common use by later centuries, leaving 'blated' as a form encountered chiefly in historical texts.
How blated is actually used
'Blated' is archaic and survives only in historical or literary contexts; modern speakers would say 'blabbed' or 'let slip'. It should not be confused with the unrelated Scottish adjective 'blate' meaning shy or bashful.
Easily confused with blated
'Belated' means late or delayed (as in a belated birthday wish), whereas 'blated' is an archaic form meaning having blabbed or let out a secret.
'Blasted' means damned or destroyed by a blast, while 'blated' refers to revealing a secret through talk.