blast

¹

[blast]

noun

1. a sudden and violent gust of wind.

   Wintry blasts chilled us to the marrow.

   Synonyms: storm, blow, gale, squall

2. the blowing of a trumpet, whistle, etc..

   One blast of the siren was enough to clear the street.

   Synonyms: screech, blare

3. a loud, sudden sound or noise.

   The radio let out an awful blast before I could turn it off.

4. a forcible stream of air from the mouth, bellows, or the like.

5. Machinery.

   1. air forced into a furnace by a blower to increase the rate of combustion.

   2. a jet of steam directed up a smokestack, as of a steam locomotive, to increase draft.

   3. a draft thus increased.

6. a forceful or explosive throw, hit, etc..

   a blast down the third-base line.

7. Slang.

   1. a party or riotously good time.

      Did we have a blast last night!

   2. something that gives great pleasure or enjoyment; thrill; treat.

      Duck hunting in Australia is a real blast!

8. a vigorous outburst of criticism; attack.

9. an electronic message sent simultaneously to a large number of people: e-blast advertising;

   an email blast;

   e-blast advertising;

   an SMS text blast.

10. blast wave.

11. Mining, Civil Engineering.,  the charge of dynamite or other explosive used at one firing in blasting operations.

12. the act of exploding; explosion.

    Some say the blast was in the next county.

    Synonyms: outburst, detonation

13. any pernicious or destructive influence, especially on animals or plants; a blight.

14. the sudden death of buds, flowers, or young fruit.

verb (used with object)

1. to play loudly or make a loud noise on.

   to blast rock music;

   to blast a horn.

2. to cause to shrivel or wither; blight.

3. to affect with any harmful influence; ruin; wreck.

   Failure in the exam blasted her hopes for college.

   It was an indiscretion that blasted his good reputation.

   Synonyms: demolish

4. to shatter, break up, or dislodge by or as if by an explosion.

   Their explosives were inadequate to blast the granite.

5. to make, form, open up, etc., by blasting.

   to blast a tunnel through a mountain.

6. to show to be false, unreliable, etc.; discredit.

   His facts soundly blasted the new evidence.

7. Informal.,  to curse; damn (usually followed by it or an object).

   Blast it, there's the phone again!

   Blast the time, we've got to finish this work.

8. to censure or criticize vigorously; denounce.

   In his campaign speech he really blasts the other party.

9. to hit or propel with great force: They were blasted into outer space.

   He blasted a homer that tied the game.

   They were blasted into outer space.

10. to shoot.

    The terrorists blasted him down.

verb (used without object)

1. to produce a loud, blaring sound: His voice blasted until the microphone was turned down.

   The trumpets blasted as the overture began.

   His voice blasted until the microphone was turned down.

2. to shoot.

   He whipped out his revolver and started blasting.

3. Slang.,  to take narcotics.

verb phrase

1. blast off

   1. (of a rocket) to leave a launch pad under its own power.

   2. (of an astronaut) to travel aloft in a rocket.

-blast

²

1. a combining form meaning “bud, sprout,” “embryo,” “formative cells or cell layer,” used in the formation of compound words.

   ectoblast.

blast

¹

/ blɑːst /

noun

1. an explosion, as of dynamite

2. 1. the rapid movement of air away from the centre of an explosion, combustion of rocket fuel, etc

   2. a wave of overpressure caused by an explosion; shock wave

3. the charge of explosive used in a single explosion

4. a sudden strong gust of wind or air

5. a sudden loud sound, as of a trumpet

6. a violent verbal outburst, as of criticism

7. a forcible jet or stream of air, esp one used to intensify the heating effect of a furnace, increase the draught in a steam engine, or break up coal at a coalface

8. any of several diseases of plants and animals, esp one producing withering in plants

9. slang,  a very enjoyable or thrilling experience

   the party was a blast

10. at maximum speed, volume, etc

interjection

1. slang,  an exclamation of annoyance (esp in phrases such as blast it! and blast him! )

verb

1. to destroy or blow up with explosives, shells, etc

2. to make or cause to make a loud harsh noise

3. (tr) to remove, open, etc, by an explosion

   to blast a hole in a wall

4. (tr) to ruin; shatter

   the rain blasted our plans for a picnic

5. to wither or cause to wither; blight or be blighted

6. to criticize severely

7. to shoot or shoot at

   he blasted the hat off her head

   he blasted away at the trees

-blast

²

combining form

1. (in biology) indicating an embryonic cell or formative layer

   mesoblast

Other Word Forms

• blaster noun
• blasty adjective
• blastier adjective
• blastiest adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of blast¹

First recorded before 1000; 1955–60 blast for def. 7a; Middle English (noun and verb); Old English blǣst (noun) “a blowing”; akin to Old Norse blāstr, Old High German blāst; blow ²

Origin of blast²

< Greek, combining form of blastós a bud, sprout

Word History and Origins

Origin of blast¹

Old English blǣst , related to Old Norse blāstr

Origin of blast²

from Greek blastos bud

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. at full blast, at maximum capacity; at or with full volume or speed: Also full blast.

   The factory is going at full blast.

More idioms and phrases containing blast

• full blast

Synonym Study

See wind ¹.

Example Sentences

Traditionally, extracting that all-important iron from ores requires blast furnaces that run on fossil fuels.

From BBC

A great, giddy blast of air from the 750-horsepower fans blew my bangs straight off my forehead.

From Los Angeles Times

Ministers took control of British Steel in Scunthorpe in April after accusing the Chinese owners Jingye of trying to close down the site's blast furnaces.

From BBC

Fitness role model is not one of them, no matter how many times he blasts out of sand traps on company time.

From Los Angeles Times

From blasting out music, TikTok videos and Instagram Reels, to having video calls on speaker phone, some people on public transport in the UK say they're getting fed up of noisy passengers.

From BBC

Related Words

• blow up 
• bomb 
• burst 
• damage 
• demolish 
• destroy 
• detonate 
• injure 
• kill 
• shatter 
• wreck 

When To Use

What does blast mean?

A blast is a loud, sudden noise, as in The blast of the fire alarm woke Kehinde out of a deep sleep.Blasts are typically associated with the sound and force behind them, and often this force will be caused by a gust of wind or heat that is emanating from some type of explosion or machine.To blast is to make a loud, sudden noise, as when you blow into a trumpet.To blast is also to destroy or break up, as in The engineers blasted the rock in the side of the mountain to create a tunnel.Figuratively, a blast is a strong verbal attack or criticism. To blast someone is to criticize them in this way, as in Jada’s parents blasted her for staying out all night, and now she’s grounded for a month.A blast is also a really fun party or thrill, as in Luis was surprised at what a blast he had at rock climbing.Example: I heard a loud blast from the neighboring field and went over to see what happened.