blister
Americannoun
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blisters
plural
-
a thin vesicle on the skin, containing watery matter or serum, as from a burn or other injury.
-
any similar swelling, as an air bubble in a coat of paint.
-
a relatively large bubble occurring in glass during blowing.
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Military. a transparent bulge or dome on the fuselage of an airplane, usually for mounting a gun.
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Photography. a bubble of air formed where the emulsion has separated from the base of a film, as because of defective processing.
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a dome or skylight on a building.
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the moving bubble in a spirit level.
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a small blisterlike covering of plastic, usually affixed to a piece of cardboard and containing a small item, as a pen, bolt, or medicinal tablet.
verb (used with object)
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blisters,
present (3rd person singular)
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blistered,
past participle, past
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blistering
present participle
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to raise a blister or blisters on.
These new shoes blistered my feet.
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to criticize or rebuke severely.
The boss blistered his assistant in front of the whole office.
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to beat or thrash; punish severely.
verb (used without object)
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blisters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
blistered,
past participle, past
-
blistering
present participle
noun
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a small bubble-like elevation of the skin filled with serum, produced as a reaction to a burn, mechanical irritation, etc
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a swelling containing air or liquid, as on a painted surface
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a transparent dome or any bulge on the fuselage of an aircraft, such as one used for observation
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slang an irritating person
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slang a rebuke
verb
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to have or cause to have blisters
-
(tr) to attack verbally with great scorn or sarcasm
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
blistersimple
-
blisterssimple
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have blisteredperfect
-
has blisteredperfect
-
am blisteringprogressive
-
are blisteringprogressive
-
is blisteringprogressive
-
have been blisteringperfect progressive
-
has been blisteringperfect progressive
Past
-
blisteredsimple
-
had blisteredperfect
-
was blisteringprogressive
-
were blisteringprogressive
-
had been blisteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of blister
1250–1300; Middle English blister, blester < Old Norse blǣstri, dative of blāstr swelling. See blast, blow 2
Explanation
A blister is a fluid-filled bubble people get where something rubs or burns the skin. Common causes are wearing fancy new shoes, playing sports, and trying to cook bananas flambé. Having a blister is no fun. A blister is a round raised area caused by repeated friction or rubbing. A second-degree burn can also cause a blister. A blister isn’t always a human problem. Plants can get blisters, and sometimes air bubbles on the surface of a painted wall or a shellacked table are called blisters. The verb blister means to form a blister. The Old French root word is blestre, "lump or bump."
Vocabulary lists containing blister
The Distance Between Us
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"The War Works Hard" by Dunya Mikhail
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Neighborhood Odes
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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.
See Examples For:
Ciara and her partner Lewis had to become experts in the rare genetic disorder, which causes skin to tear or blister at the slightest touch.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Choi’s advice was to go the other direction: blister them, puree them, drown them in vinegar or chili, add something sweet, blend them into sauces, make them taste like the foods you already crave.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
Right-hander Roki Sasaki, who went on the IL last month with a blister on the middle finger of his right hand, threw a simulated game Wednesday afternoon and could return shortly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
His signature victory was a record-setting blister up Alpe d’Huez in which he roared through costumed, enthusiastic revelers on his way to a fifth stage win.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
The skin was angry and pink, and was starting to blister and ooze.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Her symptoms got worse, with sores and blisters leaving her in constant pain.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
The result can be swelling, bruising, bleeding, blisters and discoloration of the skin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The rash goes through several stages which include flat spots, raised spots, blisters and then scabbing.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
The balls of both feet and the ends of both pointer toes had been mashed into misshapen blisters.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
The 22-pound bergen backpack that he had been forced to wear cut into his shoulders and had rubbed blisters into his back.
From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz
Pike is currently in critical condition on a ventilator, with burned and blistered arms, according to her lawyers.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
The lawyer said medics were "working to save Ms. Pike's life" after she arrived with both arms "swollen, burned, and blistered."
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Among this year’s participants was WSJ’s achy, blistered Xavier Martinez.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
Yee said she should drop out of the race and Villaraigosa blistered her in ads.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2025
Her throat felt blistered, and her stomach was clenched tighter than a fist.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
As Anna Holmes recently pointed out in her blistering New Yorker essay, more than half of millennials have had parental help purchasing their home.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
It came less than two weeks after United defender Lisandro Martinez had launched a blistering attack on the club's hierarchy for not strengthening the squad, with a particular message for Wilcox.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
On the one hand, earnings growth has reached a blistering pace typically only seen during the early stages of an economic recovery.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 18, 2026
The blistering heat that has baked Southern California for days is coming to an end, with rain on tap for the weekend and early next week, along with a risk of potentially damaging coastal flooding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
I complain to Pa about my blistering feet and aching joints.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
