blow

SayBLOH/bloʊ/UK/bləʊ/

Verbblows, blowing, blew, blown

Noun pluralblows

44 meanings of blow

Practice

1
wind movingverbintransitive
To make air move, the way wind does.
Like an electric fan pushing air toward you.
The wind began to blow hard across the field.
Cold air blows in through the broken window.
UsageSay blew for the past and blown after has (not ~~incorrect: blowed~~).
Note
2
hitnouncountable
A hard hit on someone or something, or a strong attack or effort against them.
Like the smack of a hammer hitting a nail.
The boxer landed a hard blow to his opponent's jaw.
He fell to the ground after a hard blow to the head.
UsageSay a blow to the head, or land a blow.
Similarhit, punch, strike, knock, smack
3
carried by windverbintransitive
To move, or make something move, because of wind or moving air.
Like a kite drifting wherever the wind takes it.
Leaves blow across the yard in the fall.
The papers blew off the desk when the door opened.
UsageOften blow away or blow off.
Similardrift, waft, fly
4
setbacknouncountable
A sad or harmful event that hits you hard.
Like bad news that knocks the wind out of you.
Losing his job was a heavy blow to the family.
The flood was a terrible blow to the small town.
UsageOften a big blow to someone, or came as a blow.
Similardisaster, calamity
Oppositeboost
Note
5
explodeverbtransitive
To explode, or to make something explode or break into pieces.
Like setting off a firework that bursts into pieces.
Robbers blew the safe open with explosives.
One small spark could blow the whole gas tank to pieces.
UsageOften blow up, or blow something to pieces.
Similarblast
6
puff air atverbtransitive
To send air at something using your mouth or another source.
Like puffing air on a spoonful of hot food to cool it.
She blew on her hot soup to cool it.
Blow on your cold hands to warm them up.
UsageSay blow on your soup to cool it.
Similarfan
7
verbtransitive
To make a sound with a trumpet, whistle, or horn by pushing air into it, or for it to sound.
Like making a sound by blowing across the top of a bottle.
The referee blew his whistle to stop play.
Please blow the horn so they know we're here.
Similarsound, play, toot
8
mess upverbcolloquialidiomatictransitive
To fail at something or spoil it through a mistake.
Like missing an easy goal in front of an open net.
He blew the test by not studying.
Don't blow your big chance to apologize.
UsageOften Don't blow it! or You blew it.
Similarruin, botch, bungle, wreck, spoil
Oppositeace, nail
Note
9
verbtransitive
To make or shape something by blowing air into or through it.
Like blowing into a balloon to make it grow and change shape.
Artists blow glass into beautiful vases and bowls.
She blew a big bubble with her gum.
UsageSay blow bubbles, or blow a bubble with gum.
Note
10
verbintransitive
Of a tire, engine, or fuse, to suddenly break and stop working.
Like a balloon that suddenly pops.
The front tire blew as we sped down the hill.
An overworked engine can blow without warning.
UsageOften a blown tire or a blown fuse.
Similarfail, burst, break, go (entry)
Note
11
verbtransitive
To clear something out by pushing air through it.
Like using air to push crumbs out of a tube.
Blow your nose if it feels stuffy.
Stop sniffing and blow your nose, please.
UsageMost often blow your nose.
Similarclear, purge
Note

Less common meanings

12
waste moneyverbslangtransitive
To waste money or chances quickly and carelessly.
Like spending all your pocket money the same day you get it.
He blew all his savings on a sports car.
Don't blow your allowance on candy.
UsageSay blow your money on something.
Similarsquander, waste, spend
Oppositesave
Note
13
be awfulverbslangintransitive
To be very bad, unpleasant, or annoying.
Like getting stuck inside on the one sunny day all week.
Rainy weekends blow when you wanted to play outside.
This homework really blows.
UsageLike sucks: this blows. Some people think it is rude.
Similarsuck, stink, bite
Oppositerock, rule
14
give oral sexverbvulgartransitive
A rude, vulgar way of saying to give someone oral sex.
Who would I have to blow to get a better seat at this show?
He bragged to everyone that she had blown him in the car.
UsageOften in the rude question Who did you have to blow?
Note
15
oral sexnounvulgarcolloquialcountable or uncountable
A rude slang word for oral sex done on a man.
Similarhead, dome, brain
Note
16
pantverbintransitive
To breathe hard and fast, like after running.
Like puffing hard after you run up the stairs.
The horse was blowing hard after the long gallop up the hill.
Climbing the steep hill made me blow and gasp.
UsageOften in puffing and blowing or blowing hard.
Similarpant, puff, gasp
Note
17
leave fastverbslangtransitive
To leave a place quickly, often in a hurry.
Like sneaking out of a boring class the second the bell rings.
Let's blow this town before it gets dark.
They blew town the morning after the robbery.
UsageSay blow town or blow this place, with no from.
Similarleave, ditch, quit, skip, flee
Note
18
galenouncountable or uncountable
A strong wind that moves fast and hard.
Like the gusts that push against you on a stormy day.
There was a strong blow coming off the sea all morning.
Sailors waited out the blow in the harbor.
UsageOften a big blow or a bit of a blow.
Similargale, storm, windstorm, squall
Oppositecalm
Note
19
breathernouncolloquialcountable or uncountable
A short break to rest and catch your breath.
Like stopping to rest when you are out of breath.
The coach pulled her from the game to give her a blow.
Let the horses have a blow before we ride on.
UsageSay have a blow or give someone a blow.
Similarbreather, rest, break
20
spoutverbintransitive
Of a whale, to breathe out hard through the hole on top of its head, sending up a spray.
Like a fountain shooting water up into the air.
The whale blew, sending a spray high into the air.
Gray whales blow several times before diving deep.
Similarspout
Note
21
cocainenounslangUSuncountable
Cocaine, an illegal drug taken as a powder.
The police found a bag of blow in the car.
He spent his whole paycheck on blow every weekend.
Similarcoke, snow, powder, charlie, flake
Note
22
verbcolloquialtransitive
To let others find out who someone really is or what secret job they have.
One careless word could blow her cover.
'As for that,' says Will, 'I could tell it well enough, if I had it, but I must not be seen anywhere among my old acquaintances, for I am blown, and they will all betray me.'
1722, Daniel Defoe, Colonel JackHere, blown means his secret is out and people know who he is.
UsageMostly blow someone's cover.
Similarexpose, betray
Note
23
interjectiondatedUK
Said out loud when you feel annoyed or unhappy about something.
Oh, blow! I left my lunch on the kitchen table.
[H]e suddenly flung down his brush on the floor, said 'Bother!' and 'Oh blow!' and also 'Hang spring-cleaning!' and bolted out of the house without even waiting to put on his coat.
1908, Kenneth Grahame, “The River Bank”
UsageOften Oh, blow!, a mild word like bother.
Similardrat, bother, blast, darn
Note
24
verbliterary
To open into flowers, or to make a plant open into flowers.
How blows the citron grove.
1667, John Milton, Paradise LostHere, blows means blooms, as plants flower.
25
nounliterary
The state of being in full flower.
26
verb
To kill a person by tying them in front of a cannon and firing it.
27
verb
To leave Scientology without being allowed to.
28
verb
Of flies, to lay eggs, especially in meat.
29
verbobsolete
To tell many people about something so that it becomes known.
Through the court his courtesy was blown.
1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”
30
verbobsolete
To make someone feel too proud of themselves.
O peace, now he's deepely in: looke how imagination blowes him.
c. 1601, William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”
31
verb
To make someone so tired that they breathe hard.
32
verbdated
To speak in a noisy, proud way about yourself.
He didn't just set around and try to out sweettalk^([sic]) somebody; he got out and out-fit somebody. He wouldn't be blowing when he told his boys how he fit for the woman he got.
a. 1940, Mildred Haun, “Shin-Bone Rocks”
33
verbdated
To say bad things about someone or to tell them off angrily.
34
verbslang
To make music with your voice.
35
verbslang
To fart or to poop.
36
nounslangUK
Marijuana.
37
nounslang
Heroin, a strong drug made from opium.
38
noun
Pushing water out of a submarine's tanks with air so it comes up.
39
adjective
Blue in color.
40
nounAustralia
One cut of the shears through a sheep's wool.
Click goes his shears; click, click, click. / Wide are the blows, and his hand is moving quick, / The ringer looks round, for he lost it by a blow, / And he curses that old shearer with the bare belled ewe.
1891, The Bacchus Marsh Express, Victoria
41
nounAustraliaNew Zealand
Quartz showing through rock, which may mean there is metal or ore below.
42
noun
The strong last line that ends a scene in a script.
43
noun
Many flowers in bloom together, or all the flowers one plant gives.
44
noun
A bright, colorful show of something.

More uses

blow someone's mindto amaze someone
blow upto fill something with air, such as a balloon
blow awayto beat or impress someone by a wide margin
blow a kissto kiss your hand and wave it toward someone

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of blow apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1, 3, 5–23

From Old English blāwan, meaning to blow or breathe.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

Blow derives from Old English blāwan. en.wiktionary.org
Old English blāwan meant to blow or breathe. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 2, 4

From Middle English, from a Proto-Germanic word *blewwaną meaning "to beat."

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

Blow comes from Middle English. en.wiktionary.org
Its Proto-Germanic ancestor is *blewwaną, meaning to beat. en.wiktionary.org