- present participle of blister.
blistering
Americanadjective
-
(of weather) extremely hot
-
(of criticism) extremely harsh
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of blistering
Explanation
Use the adjective blistering to mean extremely hot. You might love living in Georgia, except for the blistering heat in the summer time. A baker has to remove her loaves of bread carefully from the oven because of the blistering heat. You can also use blistering to mean a different kind of heat: "Her blistering criticism took him by surprise." Or a racer might set out on a track at a blistering pace, one that's incredibly fast or impressive. The original, hot meaning of blistering comes from the idea that something is "hot enough to form blisters."
Vocabulary lists containing blistering
The Sweltering Words of Summer
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The Kite Runner
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This Week in Words: September 25 - October 1, 2017
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In a blistering attack after being ousted, Fedorov said Syrsky had hobbled his attempts at modernisation -- on procurement, equipment and mobilisation.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Isaac’s and Mulligan’s characters have a drawn-out, sometimes blistering, sometimes riotously funny fight in the premiere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
The jet will fly over the National Mall alongside the Defense Department’s most impressive equipment on Saturday, before the president delivers a speech in what is forecast to be a blistering heat wave.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
Far more relaxed on her return to action two days later, there was an entirely different feel to this performance as the 25-year-old made a blistering start against 2021 runner-up Pliskova.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Jinny and Ess dropped to the sand and put their arms over their faces until the bits of shell stopped blistering the air around them.
From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
