blighty one

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

A wound that is relatively minor, but sufficiently severe that one will be sent to the hospital in England.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Though my thoughts did not formulate themselves so clearly or so crudely at the time, I had a “Blighty” one, that sort of wound that all the soldiers sighed and sang for (“Take me back to dear old Blighty”), and my platoon, in which I had taken much pride, could now look after itself.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “blighty one” mean?

A wound that is relatively minor, but sufficiently severe that one will be sent to the hospital in England.

Is “blighty one” formal or informal?

blighty one is generally slang.