blast

[ blast, blahst ]

/ blæst, blɑst /

See synonyms for: blast / blasted / blasting / blaster on Thesaurus.com

noun

a sudden and violent gust of wind: Wintry blasts chilled us to the marrow.

the blowing of a trumpet, whistle, etc.: One blast of the siren was enough to clear the street.

a loud, sudden sound or noise: The radio let out an awful blast before I could turn it off.

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

Machinery.

air forced into a furnace by a blower to increase the rate of combustion.
a jet of steam directed up a smokestack, as of a steam locomotive, to increase draft.
a draft thus increased.

a forceful or explosive throw, hit, etc.: a blast down the third-base line.

Slang.

a party or riotously good time: Did we have a blast last night!
something that gives great pleasure or enjoyment; thrill; treat: My new electronic game is a blast.

a vigorous outburst of criticism; attack.

blast wave.

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

the act of exploding; explosion: Some say the blast was in the next county.

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

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

verb (used with object)

to make a loud noise on; blow (a trumpet, automobile horn, etc.): He blasted his horn irritably at every car in his way.

to cause to shrivel or wither; blight.

to affect with any pernicious influence; ruin; destroy: Failure in the exam blasted her hopes for college. It was an indiscretion that blasted his good reputation.

to break up or dislodge (a tree stump, rock, etc.): Their explosives were inadequate to blast the granite.

to make, form, open up, etc., by blasting: to blast a tunnel through a mountain.

to show to be false, unreliable, etc.; discredit: His facts soundly blasted the new evidence.

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.

to censure or criticize vigorously; denounce: In his campaign speech he really blasts the other party.

to hit or propel with great force: He blasted a homer that tied the game. They were blasted into outer space.

to shoot: The terrorists blasted him down.

verb (used without object)

to produce a loud, blaring sound: The trumpets blasted as the overture began. His voice blasted until the microphone was turned down.

to shoot: He whipped out his revolver and started blasting.

Slang. to take narcotics.

Verb Phrases

blast off,

(of a rocket) to leave a launch pad under its own power.
(of an astronaut) to travel aloft in a rocket.

SYNONYMS FOR blast

1 squall, gale, blow, storm.

2 blare, screech.

11 discharge, outburst.

16 annihilate.

See synonyms for blast on Thesaurus.com

QUIZZES

THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

In our third teacher-created PSAT practice test there are new and unique vocabulary terms you may have never heard of! Can you guess what they mean?

Question 1 of 10

seclusion

a false belief or opinion.

the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid.

the state of being isolated, kept apart, or withdrawn into solitude.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for blast

at full blast, at maximum capacity; at or with full volume or speed: The factory is going at full blast.Also full blast.

Origin of blast

First recorded before 1000; 1955–60 for def. 7a; Middle English (noun and verb); Old English blǣst (noun) “a blowing”; akin to Old Norse blāstr, Old High German blāst (derivative of blāsan, cognate with Gothic ufblēsan, Old Norse blāsa ). See blow²

synonym study for blast

1. See wind¹.

OTHER WORDS FROM blast

blaster, nounblasty, adjective

Definition for blast (2 of 2)

-blast

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

Origin of -blast

<Greek, combining form of blastós a bud, sprout

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for blast

Instead, her team and others are using extremely powerful lasers to re-create the physics seen in the aftermath of supernova blasts.
Giant lasers help re-create supernovas’ explosive, mysterious physics|Emily Conover|November 12, 2020|Science News
If you were caught upstairs or in the open during the blast, you’d probably be pierced by radioactive rays, which would cause vomiting and, two weeks later, hair loss.
A fallout shelter might have caused you to fall out with your neighbors|John Kelly|November 4, 2020|Washington Post
Exposed to the bugaboo radiation via a gigantic alien instead of a bomb blast, Hayes expands to the kind of extreme height favored by macrophiliacs.
The Beauty Pageants Inspired by the Atomic Bomb|Fiona Zublin|October 15, 2020|Ozy
We ultimately decided it might be his last blast of freedom, before the walls close in again.
‘A curfew at nine o’clock is like closing restaurants’: For the French, the latest COVID measures cross a line|Vivienne Walt|October 15, 2020|Fortune

Fracking, short for “hydraulic fracturing,” is a drilling technique that uses high-pressure water and chemical blasts to access natural gas and oil reserves underground.
Vice presidential debate: Highlights and fact-checks|Colby Itkowitz, Anne Gearan, Matt Viser, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner|October 8, 2020|Washington Post
With her, a blaster level in his hand, and his crew at his back, was Captain Jareth.
Bride of the Dark One|Florence Verbell Brown
He launched himself straight at the throat of Vahr Farg's son—and into the muzzle of Vahr's blaster.
The Keeper|Henry Beam Piper
His hand trembled as he jammed the blaster back beneath his belt.
The Cartels Jungle|Irving E. Cox, Jr.
Firelight made plain his off-world dress, and he swung up a blaster, aiming at the nearest of the waiting beasts.
Voodoo Planet|Andre Norton
For the past three nights he had not let the blaster get beyond quick reach of his hand, even when in bed.
Cry from a Far Planet|Tom Godwin

British Dictionary definitions for blast (1 of 2)

blast

/ (blɑːst) /

noun

an explosion, as of dynamite

the rapid movement of air away from the centre of an explosion, combustion of rocket fuel, etc
a wave of overpressure caused by an explosion; shock wave

the charge of explosive used in a single explosion

a sudden strong gust of wind or air

a sudden loud sound, as of a trumpet

a violent verbal outburst, as of criticism

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

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

US slang a very enjoyable or thrilling experiencethe party was a blast

full blast or at full blast at maximum speed, volume, etc

interjection

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

verb

to destroy or blow up with explosives, shells, etc

to make or cause to make a loud harsh noise

(tr) to remove, open, etc, by an explosionto blast a hole in a wall

(tr) to ruin; shatterthe rain blasted our plans for a picnic

to wither or cause to wither; blight or be blighted

to criticize severely

to shoot or shoot athe blasted the hat off her head; he blasted away at the trees

Derived forms of blast

blaster, noun

Word Origin for blast

Old English blǣst, related to Old Norse blāstr

British Dictionary definitions for blast (2 of 2)

-blast

n combining form

(in biology) indicating an embryonic cell or formative layermesoblast

Word Origin for -blast

from Greek blastos bud

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for blast

-blast

suff.

An immature, embryonic stage in the development of cells or tissues:erythroblast.

Idioms and Phrases with blast

blast

In addition to the idiom beginning with blast

blast off

also see:

full blast

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

blast