How do you say “As blind as a bat” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is stockblind, which literally means “completely blind”. English speakers use as blind as a bat to mean unable to see well. An informal exaggeration for seeing very poorly. It is a single adjective rather than an animal comparison. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
stockblind
/ˈʃtɔkblɪnt/
- Literal meaning
- “completely blind”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
90 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Ohne Brille bin ich stockblind” can jokingly describe how little you can see without your glasses. It sounds stronger than simply having poor eyesight.
Use it about yourself with care. It is not a precise or considerate way to describe someone else’s visual impairment.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
Without my glasses, I'm as blind as a bat and can't read that sign.
German
Ohne meine Brille bin ich stockblind und kann das Schild nicht lesen.
English
I was as blind as a bat without my lenses and waved at the wrong person.
German
Ohne meine Kontaktlinsen war ich stockblind und habe der falschen Person zugewinkt.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01