blow

1 of 5

verb (1)

ˈblō 

blew ˈblü  ; blown ˈblōn  ; blowing; blows

intransitive verb

1

a of air

(1)

: to be in motion

A breeze blew gently.

(2)

: to move with speed or force

The wind was blowing.

b

: to move or run quickly

The linebacker blew past the tackle.

2

: to send forth a current of air or other gas

Don't blow on your soup.

3

a

: to make a sound by or as if by blowing

hear the train blow

b

of a wind instrument : sound entry 2

a horn blowing

waiting for the whistle to blow

4

a

: boast

blowing about his accomplishments

b

: to talk in an empty or boastful way

… if it wasn't true, and he was just blowing, it wouldn't be so hard to take.

—James Jones

5

a

: pant, gasp

The horse blew heavily.

b

of a cetacean : to eject moisture-laden air from the lungs through the blowhole

heard a whale blow nearby

6

: to move or be carried by or as if by wind

just blew into town for the weekend

7

a

: erupt, explode

The bridge was about to blow.

The windows blew out in the explosion.

b

: to become damaged or destroyed as a result of an electrical overload

The fuse blew.

A Western Massachusetts Electric Company power substation blew yesterday afternoon, cutting power for 90 minutes to more than 9,100 customers …

—Patrick Johnson

c

of a tire : to release the contained air through a spontaneous rupture

—usually used with out

blew out a tire

8

US slang, sometimes vulgar : to be extremely bad in quality or execution : suck, stink

So how come this oddball dramedy … never received a U.S. theatrical release … !? Oh, yeah, it blows.

—Bruce Fretts

transitive verb

1

a

: to set (gas or vapor) in motion

The fan blew hot air on us.

b

: to act on with a current of gas or vapor

The breeze blew my hair dry.

2

a

: to play or sound on (a wind instrument)

blow their horns

b

: to play (something) on a wind instrument

blow a tune

3

a

: to spread by report

… through the court his courtesy was blown …

—John Dryden

b

past participle blowed ˈblōd  : damn

blow the expense

4

a

: to drive with a current of gas or vapor

The storm blew the boat off course.

b

: to clear of contents by forcible passage of a current of air

blow your nose

c

: to project (a gesture or sound made with the mouth) by blowing

blew him a kiss

5

a

: to distend with or as if with gas

blow a balloon

b

: to produce or shape by the action of blown or injected air

blowing bubbles

6

of insects : to deposit eggs or larvae on or in

wounds blown by flies

7

: to shatter, burst, or destroy by explosion

blow the safe open

8

a

: to put out of breath with exertion

Take care not to blow the horses.

b

: to let (an animal, such as a horse) pause to catch the breath

paused to blow the horses

9

a

: to expend (something, such as money) extravagantly

blew her allowance on a pair of jeans

b

: to treat with unusual expenditure

I'll blow you to a steak.

10

: to cause (a fuse) to blow

blew a fuse

11

: to rupture by too much pressure

blow a seal

12

a

: botch sense 1

actors blowing their lines

b

: to fail to keep or hold

They blew a big lead.

c

: to lose or miss (an opportunity) because of mistakes or poor judgment

blow a chance to make a good impression

13

: to leave hurriedly

blew town

14

: to propel with great force or speed

blew a fastball by the batter

15

US, informal : to drive or speed through or past (a traffic signal or stop sign) without stopping

He blew several red lights and stop signs before smashing into a pole and a fence, cops said.

—Jessica Simeone et al.

blow

2 of 5

noun (1)

1

: an instance of air moving with speed or force : a blowing of wind especially when strong or violent

2

: brag, boasting

3

: an act or instance of blowing (see blow entry 1)

gave his nose a good blow

a blow of the horn

4

metallurgy

a

: the time during which air is forced through molten metal to refine it

b

: the quantity of metal refined during that time

5

slang : cocaine

blow

3 of 5

verb (2)

blew ˈblü  ; blown ˈblōn  ; blowing

intransitive verb

: flower, bloom

I know a bank where the wild thyme blows …

—Shakespeare

blow

4 of 5

noun (2)

1

: blossoms

2

: bloom entry 2 sense 1b

lilacs in full blow

blow

5 of 5

noun (3)

1

: a forcible stroke delivered with a part of the body (such as the fist) or with an instrument

a mighty blow with his club

boxers exchanging blows

2

: a hostile act or state : combat

nations coming to blows

3

: a forcible or sudden act or effort : assault

… such a language … would solve many of his … difficulties at a single blow.

—Edward Sapir

4

: an unfortunate or calamitous happening

failure to land the job came as a blow

Phrases

blow a gasket

: to become enraged

blow chunks

slang : vomit sense 1

The basement is the sort of dim, subterranean space the players don't seem to mind trashing, and every now and then, one of them will turn to a corner and urinate or blow chunks.

—Jonathon Blum

blow hot and cold

: to be favorable at one moment and adverse the next

blow off steam

: to release pent-up emotions

blow one's cool

: to lose one's composure

blow one's cover

: to reveal one's real identity

blow one's mind

: to overwhelm one with wonder or bafflement

an idea that's sure to blow your mind

blow one's top or blow one's stack

: to become violently angry : to lose one's temper

blow smoke

: to speak idly, misleadingly, or boastfully

blow the whistle

: to call public or official attention to something (such as a wrongdoing) kept secret

—usually used with on

blew the whistle on the firm's unethical practices

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• gasp
• heave
• hyperventilate
• pant
• puff
• wheeze

Noun (1)

• blast
• flurry
• gust
• scud
• williwaw
• windblast

Verb (2)

• bloom
• blossom
• burgeon
• bourgeon
• effloresce
• flower
• unfold

Noun (3)

• bang
• bash
• bat
• beat
• belt
• biff
• bop
• box
• buffet
• bust
• chop
• clap
• clip
• clout
• crack
• cuff
• dab
• douse [British]
• fillip
• hack
• haymaker
• hit
• hook
• knock
• larrup [dialect]
• lash
• lick
• pelt
• pick
• plump
• poke
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slug
• smack
• smash
• sock
• spank
• stinger
• stripe
• stroke
• swat
• swipe
• switch
• thud
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• welt
• whack
• wham
• whop
• whap

Examples of blow in a Sentence

Verb (1)

that horse was really blowing after the race

each year he blows his holiday bonus on a trip to Las Vegas

a huge crater was formed when the volcano last blew

one false move and we would be blown to bits

that car blew past us as if we were standing still

he keeps blowing every job interview that comes his way

another self-made millionaire blowing about how much he'd achieved

Noun (1)

the ocean blows that sweep over the island are so strong that only the hardiest shrubs can grow there

Verb (2)

longing for a grassy field in some far-off land where the wildflowers blow

Noun (3)

he was dizzy for the rest of the day after the blow to his head

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Boeing’s striking factory workers voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer on Wednesday night, a major blow to the plane maker, which reported a $6 billion quarterly loss earlier in the day. —Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Boeing factory workers voted to reject a contract offer and continue a more than five-week strike on Wednesday, in a blow to new CEO Kelly Ortberg's plan to shore up the finances of the struggling planemaker. —Daniel Catchpole, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024

Verb

It is defined by his combative personality, his lack of inhibitions, his willingness to ignore democratic norms to go places others won’t and blow past previous political boundaries in ways many find alarming − such as threatening to use the military against Americans who oppose him. —David Jackson, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024

For nonprofits reliant on city funding, the winds of political change can blow your funding off the map. —Tylor Taylor, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1) and Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English blāwan; akin to Old High German blāen to blow, Latin flare

Verb (2) and Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English blōwan; akin to Old High German bluoen to bloom, Latin florēre to bloom, flor-, flos flower

Noun (3)

Middle English (northern dialect) blaw; probably akin to Old High German bliuwan to beat

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1710, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing blow

• blow a fuse
• blow away
• blow bubbles
• blow-by-blow
• blow-dried
• blow-dry
• blow-dryer
• blow in
• blow into (a place)
• blow off
• blow one's own horn
• blow one's own trumpet
• blow out
• blow out of proportion
• blow over
• blow (someone) a kiss
• blow someone's brains out
• blow someone's mind
• blow the gaff
• blow the lid off
• blow to pieces
• blow to smithereens
• blow town
• blow up
• body blow
• by-blow
• counter-blow
• cruel blow
• cushion/soften the blow
• deal a blow
• dealt a fatal blow
• death blow
• glancing blow
• knock/blow someone's socks off
• low blow
• strike a blow

Kids Definition

blow

1 of 4 verb

ˈblō 

blew ˈblü  ; blown ˈblōn  ; blowing

1

: to move or become moved especially rapidly or with power

wind blowing from the north

2

: to send forth a strong stream of air (as from the mouth)

blow on your soup

3

: to drive or become driven by a stream of air

trees blown down

4

a

: to make a sound or cause to sound by or as if by blowing

blow a horn

blow a whistle

b

: to project by blowing

blow a kiss

5

a

: to breathe hard or rapidly : pant

b

of a whale : to force moisture-filled air out of the lungs through the blowhole

6

a

: to melt when overloaded

the fuse blew

b

: to cause (a fuse) to blow

7

: to open or break or tear apart by too much pressure

blew a seal

the tire blew out

8

: to clear by forcing air through

blew his nose

9

: to produce or shape by the action of blown or otherwise forced air

blow bubbles

blow glass

10

: to shatter, burst, or destroy by explosion

11

: to spend recklessly

blew all the money in one day

12

a

: botch entry 1

b

: to lose or miss (as an opportunity) especially through clumsiness

blew my chance

blow

2 of 4 noun

1

: a blowing of wind especially when strong or violent

2

: a forcing of air from the mouth or nose or through an instrument

blow

3 of 4 verb

blew ˈblü  ; blown ˈblōn  ; blowing

: flower entry 2 sense 1, bloom

blow

4 of 4 noun

1

: a hard hit using a part of the body or an instrument

2

: an unfriendly act : combat

come to blows

3

: a sudden act or effort

solve all our problems with one blow

4

: a sudden disaster

a heavy blow to the nation

Etymology

Verb

Old English blāwan "to blow, to move quickly"

Verb

Old English blōwan "to bloom"

Noun

Middle English blaw "stroke"

Medical Definition

blow

1 of 2 transitive verb

ˈblō 

blew ˈblü  ; blown ˈblōn  ; blowing

1

: to free (the nose) of mucus and debris by forcible exhalation

2

of blowflies and flesh flies : to deposit eggs or larvae on or in

blow

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act of some insects of depositing eggs or larvae

also : a larva so deposited (as in a wound)

—used chiefly of blowflies and flesh flies

2

: forcible ejection of air from the body (as in freeing the nose of mucus and debris)

3

slang : cocaine