词源不详，该词来自于农业用语，原指植物叶上的斑点，可能同blemish, 斑点。-ght, 拼写模仿eight, fight, light, night 等。
英文词源
blight
blight: [17] Blight appeared out of the blue in the early 17th century in agricultural and horticultural texts, and its origins are far from clear. It has, however, been speculated that it may be connected with the Old English words blǣce and blǣcthu, both terms for some sort of itchy skin condition such as scabies. These in turn are probably related to Old English blǣcan ‘bleach’, the link being the flaky whiteness of the infected skin.
In Middle English, blǣcthu would have become *bleht, which could plausibly have been the source of blight. A related piece in the jigsaw is blichening ‘blight or rust in corn’, found once in Middle English, which may have come ultimately from Old Norse blikna ‘become pale’. => bleach
blight (n.)
1610s, origin obscure; according to OED it emerged into literary speech from the talk of gardeners and farmers, perhaps ultimately from Old English blæce, blæcðu, a scrofulous skin condition and/or from Old Norse blikna "become pale." Used in a general way of agricultural diseases, sometimes with suggestion of "invisible baleful influence;" hence figurative sense of "anything which withers hopes or prospects or checks prosperity" (1828). Compare slang blighter. Urban blight attested by 1935.
blight (v.)
"afflict with blight," 1660s (implied in blighted), from blight (n.). Figurative use by 1712. Related: Blighted; blighting.
双语例句
1. Manchester still suffers from urban blight and unacceptable poverty.
曼彻斯特仍然受到城区脏乱和严重贫困问题的困扰。
来自柯林斯例句
2. This discriminatory policy has really been a blight on America.