Blow Definition and Meaning
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Urooj Arif — Published on May 28, 2024
Blow is the act of producing a current of air, typically from the mouth, or a sudden impact or occurrence. e.g., The strong blow from the wind knocked over the garden chairs.
Table of Contents
Blow Definitions
To waste or squander, especially money.
He managed to blow all his winnings on a single bet.
To explode or burst suddenly.
The tire blow out on the highway, causing a scare.
To remove or drive away with a current of air.
The morning breeze blow away the fog.
To be in a state of motion. Used of the air or of wind.
To move along or be carried by the wind
Her hat blew away.
To move with or have strong winds
The storm blew all night.
To expel a current of air, as from the mouth or from a bellows.
To produce a sound by expelling a current of air, as in sounding a wind instrument or a whistle.
To breathe hard; pant.
To release air or gas suddenly; burst or explode
The tire blew when it hit the pothole.
To spout moist air from the blowhole. Used of a whale.
To fail or break down, as from being operated under extreme or improper conditions
The furnace blew during the cold snap.
To melt or otherwise become disabled. Used of a fuse.
(Informal) To move very fast in relation to something
The boy blew past the stands on his bike.
(Informal) To boast.
To cause to move by means of a current of air
The wind blew the boat out to sea.
To drive a current of air on, in, or through
Blew my hair dry after I shampooed it.
To clear out or make free of obstruction by forcing air through
Blew his nose all through allergy season.
To shape or form (glass, for example) by forcing air or gas through at the end of a pipe.
To expel (air) from the mouth.
To cause air or gas to be expelled suddenly from
We blew a tire when we drove over the rock.
To cause (a wind instrument) to sound.
To sound
A bugle blowing taps.
To cause to be out of breath.
To allow (a winded horse) to regain its breath.
To demolish by the force of an explosion
An artillery shell blew our headquarters apart.
To lay or deposit eggs in. Used of certain insects.
To cause to fail or break down, as by operating at extreme or improper conditions
Blew the engine on the last lap.
To cause (a fuse) to melt or become disabled.
To spend (money) freely and rashly.
To spend money freely on; treat
Blew me to a sumptuous dinner.
To cause (a covert intelligence operation or operative) to be revealed and thereby jeopardized
A story in the press that blew their cover.
An agent who was blown by the opposition.
(Slang) To depart (a place) in a great hurry
Let's blow this city no later than noon.
(Baseball) To throw (a pitch) so fast that a batter cannot swing fast enough to hit it
Blew a fastball by the batter for the strikeout.
Vulgar Slang To perform fellatio on.
To bloom or cause to bloom.
The act or an instance of blowing.
A blast of air or wind.
A storm.
(Informal) An act of bragging.
(Slang) Cocaine.
A sudden hard stroke or hit, as with the fist or an object.
An unexpected shock or calamity.
An unexpected attack; an assault.
A mass of blossoms
Peach blow.
The state of blossoming
Tulips in full blow.
(intransitive) To produce an air current.
(transitive) To propel by an air current (or, if under water, a water current), usually with the mouth.
Blow the dust off that book and open it up.
(intransitive) To be propelled by an air current.
The leaves blow through the streets in the fall.
(figurative) To direct or move, usually of a person to a particular location.
(transitive) To create or shape by blowing; as in to blow bubbles, to blow glass.
(transitive) To force a current of air upon with the mouth, or by other means.
To blow the fire
(transitive) To clear of contents by forcing air through.
To blow an egg
To blow one's nose
The submarine blew its main ballast tanks.
(transitive) To cause to make sound by blowing, as a musical instrument.
(intransitive) To make a sound as the result of being blown.
In the harbor, the ships' horns blew.
To exhale visibly through the spout the seawater which it has taken in while feeding.
There's nothing more thrilling to the whale watcher than to see a whale surface and blow.
There she blows! (i.e. "I see a whale spouting!")
(intransitive) To burst or explode; to occur suddenly
Get away from that burning gas tank! It's about to blow!
To cause to explode, shatter, or be utterly destroyed.
The demolition squad neatly blew the old hotel up.
The aerosol can was blown to bits.
To blow from a gun.
(transitive) To cause the sudden destruction of.
He blew the tires and the engine.
(intransitive) To suddenly fail destructively.
He tried to sprint, but his ligaments blew and he was barely able to walk to the finish line.
To recklessly squander.
I managed to blow $1000 at blackjack in under an hour.
I blew $35 thou on a car.
We blew an opportunity to get benign corporate sponsorship.
To fail at something; to mess up; to make a mistake.
I blew it and forgot to start the spaghetti, so I had plenty of sauce and no pasta.
Good luck, and don't blow it!
To be very undesirable.
This blows!
To leave, especially suddenly or in a hurry.
Let's blow this joint.
(transitive) To make flyblown, to defile, especially with fly eggs.
(intransitive) (of a fly) To lay eggs; to breed.
(obsolete) To spread by report; to publish; to disclose.
(obsolete) To inflate, as with pride; to puff up.
(intransitive) To breathe hard or quick; to pant; to puff.
(transitive) To put out of breath; to cause to blow from fatigue.
(dated) To talk loudly; boast; brag.
To expose, or inform on.
To sing.
That girl has a wonderful voice; just listen to her blow!
To leave the Church of Scientology in an unauthorized manner.
To flatulate or defecate.
Uh, oh! I gotta blow!
To blossom; to cause to bloom or blossom.
A strong wind.
We're having a bit of a blow this afternoon.
(informal) A chance to catch one's breath.
The players were able to get a blow during the last timeout.
Cocaine.
Cannabis.
Heroin.
(nautical) An instance of using high-pressure air to empty water from the ballast tanks of a submarine, increasing the submarine's buoyancy and causing it to surface.
The act of striking or hitting.
A fabricator is used to direct a sharp blow to the surface of the stone.
During an exchange to end round 13, Duran landed a blow to the midsection.
A sudden or forcible act or effort; an assault.
A damaging occurrence.
A further blow to the group came in 1917 when Thomson died while canoeing in Algonquin Park.
A cut made to a sheep's fleece by a shearer using hand-shears.
An outcrop of quartz from surrounding rock, thought to indicate mineral deposits below.
(television) button
A mass or display of flowers; a yield.
A display of anything brilliant or bright.
A bloom, state of flowering.
Roses in full blow.
(intransitive) Used to express displeasure or frustration.
Blue.
To flower; to blossom; to bloom.
How blows the citron grove.
To cause to blossom; to put forth (blossoms or flowers).
The odorous banks, that blowFlowers of more mingled hue.
To produce a current of air; to move, as air, esp. to move rapidly or with power; as, the wind blows.
Hark how it rains and blows !
To send forth a forcible current of air, as from the mouth or from a pair of bellows.
To breathe hard or quick; to pant; to puff.
Here is Mistress Page at the door, sweating and blowing.
To sound on being blown into, as a trumpet.
There let the pealing organ blow.
To spout water, etc., from the blowholes, as a whale.
To be carried or moved by the wind; as, the dust blows in from the street.
The grass blows from their graves to thy own.
To talk loudly; to boast; to storm.
You blow behind my back, but dare not say anything to my face.
To stop functioning due to a failure in an electrical circuit, especially on which breaks the circuit; sometimes used with out; - used of light bulbs, electronic components, fuses; as, the dome light in the car blew out.
To deflate by sudden loss of air; usually used with out; - of inflatable tires.
To force a current of air upon with the mouth, or by other means; as, to blow the fire.
To drive by a current air; to impel; as, the tempest blew the ship ashore.
Off at sea northeast winds blowSabean odors from the spicy shore.
To cause air to pass through by the action of the mouth, or otherwise; to cause to sound, as a wind instrument; as, to blow a trumpet; to blow an organ; to blow a horn.
Hath she no husbandThat will take pains to blow a horn before her?
Boy, blow the pipe until the bubble rise,Then cast it off to float upon the skies.
To clear of contents by forcing air through; as, to blow an egg; to blow one's nose.
To burst, shatter, or destroy by an explosion; - usually with up, down, open, or similar adverb; as, to blow up a building.
To spread by report; to publish; to disclose; to reveal, intentionally or inadvertently; as, to blow an agent's cover.
Through the court his courtesy was blown.
His language does his knowledge blow.
To form by inflation; to swell by injecting air; as, to blow bubbles; to blow glass.
To inflate, as with pride; to puff up.
Look how imagination blows him.
To put out of breath; to cause to blow from fatigue; as, to blow a horse.
To deposit eggs or larvæ upon, or in (meat, etc.).
To sufferThe flesh fly blow my mouth.
To smoke (e. g. marijuana); to blow pot.
To botch; to bungle; as, he blew his chance at a good job by showing up late for the interview.
To leave; to depart from; as, to blow town.
To squander; as, he blew his inheritance gambling.
I have blown him up well - nobody can say I wink at what he does.
How far the very custom of hearing anything spouted withers and blows upon a fine passage, may be seen in those speeches from [Shakespeare's] Henry V. which are current in the mouths of schoolboys.
A lady's maid whose character had been blown upon.
A blossom; a flower; also, a state of blossoming; a mass of blossoms.
A forcible stroke with the hand, fist, or some instrument, as a rod, a club, an ax, or a sword.
Well struck ! there was blow for blow.
A sudden or forcible act or effort; an assault.
A vigorous blow might win [Hanno's camp].
The infliction of evil; a sudden calamity; something which produces mental, physical, or financial suffering or loss (esp. when sudden); a buffet.
A most poor man, made tame to fortune's blows.
A blowing, esp., a violent blowing of the wind; a gale; as, a heavy blow came on, and the ship put back to port.
The act of forcing air from the mouth, or through or from some instrument; as, to give a hard blow on a whistle or horn; to give the fire a blow with the bellows.
The spouting of a whale.
A single heat or operation of the Bessemer converter.
An egg, or a larva, deposited by a fly on or in flesh, or the act of depositing it.
A powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon;
A blow on the head
An impact (as from a collision);
The bump threw him off the bicycle
An unfortunate happening that hinders of impedes; something that is thwarting or frustrating
An unpleasant or disappointing surprise;
It came as a shock to learn that he was injured
A strong current of air;
The tree was bent almost double by the gust
Street names for cocaine
Forceful exhalation through the nose or mouth;
He gave his nose a loud blow
He blew out all the candles with a single puff
Exhale hard;
Blow on the soup to cool it down
Be blowing or storming;
The wind blew from the West
Free of obstruction by blowing air through;
Blow one's nose
Be in motion due to some air or water current;
The leaves were blowing in the wind
The boat drifted on the lake
The sailboat was adrift on the open sea
The shipwrecked boat drifted away from the shore
Make a sound as if blown;
The whistle blew
Shape by blowing;
Blow a glass vase
Make a mess of, destroy or ruin;
I botched the dinner and we had to eat out
The pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement
Spend thoughtlessly; throw away;
He wasted his inheritance on his insincere friends
You squandered the opportunity to get and advanced degree
Spend lavishly or wastefully on;
He blew a lot of money on his new home theater
Sound by having air expelled through a tube;
The trumpets blew
Play or sound a wind instrument;
She blew the horn
Cause air to go in, on, or through;
Blow my hair dry
Cause to move by means of an air current;
The wind blew the leaves around in the yard
Spout moist air from the blowhole;
The whales blew
Leave; informal or rude;
Shove off!
The children shoved along
Blow now!
Lay eggs;
Certain insects are said to blow
Cause to be revealed and jeopardized;
The story blew their cover
The double agent was blown by the other side
Show off
Allow to regain its breath;
Blow a horse
Melt, break, or become otherwise unusable;
The lightbulbs blew out
The fuse blew
Burst suddenly;
The tire blew
We blew a tire
A strong gust of wind.
A sudden blow caused the ship to tilt dangerously.
An unexpected event, often negative.
Losing his job was a severe blow to him.
To expel air through pursed lips.
He likes to blow bubbles in his milk.
To create sound by forcing air through an instrument.
She learned to blow the trumpet in fifth grade.
To defeat decisively in a competition.
The team blow their opponents away with a spectacular final quarter.
The act of hitting someone.
He received a blow to the head during the match.
To reveal unintentionally; to spill a secret.
She blow the surprise by arriving early.
Blow Snonyms
Squander
To waste something in a reckless and foolish manner.
He squander his inheritance on lavish trips and expensive gadgets.
Gust
A brief, strong rush of wind.
A gust swept through the valley, rattling the windows.
Defeat
To win a victory over someone in a battle or other contest.
The chess master defeat all challengers with ease.
Waste
To use or expend carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose.
It's not good to waste electricity by leaving lights on all day.
Burst
To break open suddenly.
The balloon burst when it touched the sharp edge of the table.
Reveal
To make known something that was previously secret or unknown.
The magician reveal how he performed the trick.
Expel
To force out or eject something, typically from the body.
The machine expel hot air continuously.
Impact
The action of one object coming forcibly into contact with another.
The impact of the crash was heard across the street.
Spill
To cause or allow (liquid) to flow over the edge of its container.
He accidentally spill milk all over the kitchen floor.
Whack
A hard strike or hit.
He gave the piñata a good whack with the stick.
Blow Idioms & Phrases
Blow your own trumpet
To boast about one’s own achievements.
He's always ready to blow his own trumpet at meetings.
Blow hot and cold
To change one’s opinion frequently.
She blows hot and cold on whether to start her own business.
Blow one’s top
To become very angry.
He blew his top when he saw the mess in the garage.
Blow the whistle
To expose illicit activities.
The employee blew the whistle on the company's illegal waste dumping.
Blow it
To fail at something.
He really blew it on his first driving test.
Blow the cobwebs away
To refresh oneself, usually with fresh air or exercise.
A walk by the sea will blow the cobwebs away.
Blow off steam
To release pent-up energy or emotions.
After the exam, they went dancing to blow off steam.
Blow a fuse
To become very angry, often suddenly.
She blew a fuse when she saw the electricity bill.
Blow over
To pass without creating a lasting problem.
The scandal will blow over with time.
Blow one’s mind
To amaze or astound someone.
The final twist in the movie really blew my mind.
Blow the lid off
To expose something scandalous or deceptive.
The investigative report blew the lid off the corruption at city hall.
Blow one’s own horn
To talk boastfully.
She can't help blowing her own horn whenever her achievements are mentioned.
Blow someone away
To impress someone greatly.
Her performance really blew the audience away.
Blow away the competition
To surpass all competitors easily.
Their new product blew away the competition.
Blow one’s stack
To lose control and get very angry.
He blew his stack when he missed the flight.
Blow a gasket
Similar to blowing a fuse; to lose one’s temper.
Dad will blow a gasket if you scratch his car.
Blow up in one’s face
To have plans fail while causing one's own harm.
The scheme blew up in his face when the police got involved.
Blow money
To spend money in a wasteful, frivolous way.
He blew all his money on a fancy car.
Blow smoke
To deceive or to obscure the truth.
He's just blowing smoke; he doesn't know the real data.
Blow by blow
To describe something in great detail.
He gave a blow by blow account of his trip to Europe.
Blow Example Sentences
If you blow on your soup, it will cool down faster.
The wind began to blow harder as the storm approached.
He hoped the problem would just blow over.
He decided to blow off the meeting and go to the movie instead.
They blow up balloons for the party.
His boastful nature is likely to blow back on him someday.
The police officer told him to blow into the breathalyzer.
Common Curiosities
How do we divide "blow" into syllables?
Blow is a single syllable word and is not divided.
What is a stressed syllable in "blow"?
In the word blow, the single syllable "blow" is stressed.
How is "blow" used in a sentence?
Blow can be used to describe the act of expelling air or to refer to a sudden impact. e.g., He asked her to blow the dust off the shelf.
What is the second form of "blow"?
The second form of blow is "blew."
Why is it called "blow"?
Blow derives from Old English "blāwan," which means to produce air or a current of air, reflecting its primary actions and effects.
How many syllables are in "blow"?
Blow has one syllable.
What is the verb form of "blow"?
Blow is itself a verb form; its past tense is blew, and its past participle is blown.
What is the root word of "blow"?
The root word of blow is the Old English "blāwan."
What is the opposite of "blow"?
The opposite of blow (as a verb meaning to expel air) might be "suck."
What is the first form of "blow"?
The first form of blow is "blow."
Is "blow" a noun or adjective?
Blow can be a noun but not an adjective.
Which determiner is used with "blow"?
Determiners such as "a," "the," or numerals can be used with blow, depending on the context.
Which vowel is used before "blow"?
The vowel sound used before blow often depends on the word before it; it's pronounced with a long "o" (/oʊ/).
What is the pronunciation of "blow"?
Blow is pronounced as /bloʊ/.
What is the singular form of "blow"?
The singular form is "blow."
Is "blow" an adverb?
No, blow is not an adverb.
Is "blow" a vowel or consonant?
The word blow starts with a consonant.
Is "blow" a countable noun?
Yes, when used as a noun, blow is countable (e.g., several blows to the head).
Is the "blow" term a metaphor?
The term can be used metaphorically, particularly in phrases like "blow off steam."
Is the word “blow” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
Blow can be a direct object when it is the noun receiving the action in a sentence.
What is the third form of "blow"?
The third form of blow is "blown."
What part of speech is "blow"?
Blow can be used as both a verb and a noun.
What is another term for "blow"?
Another term for blow as a verb is "gust," and as a noun, it can be referred to as an "impact."
Is "blow" a collective noun?
No, blow is not a collective noun.
Is the word "blow" a Gerund?
No, blow used as a gerund would be "blowing."
What is the plural form of "blow"?
The plural form is "blows."
Is "blow" an abstract noun?
No, blow is not typically considered an abstract noun; it has tangible associations.
Which conjunction is used with "blow"?
Common conjunctions like "and" or "but" can be used with blow.
Which article is used with "blow"?
The articles "a" or "the" can be used with blow, depending on whether it is specific or general.
Is "blow" a negative or positive word?
Blow can be either negative or positive depending on its usage and context.
Is the word "blow" imperative?
Blow can be used in the imperative form, as in commands or requests.
Which preposition is used with "blow"?
Prepositions such as "with," "from," or "by" can be used with blow, depending on the context.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
