blaze

¹ American  

[blayz] / bleɪz /

noun

1. a bright flame or fire.

   the welcome blaze of the hearth.

2. a bright, hot gleam or glow.

   the blaze of day.

3. a sparkling brightness.

   a blaze of jewels.

4. a sudden, intense outburst, as of fire, passion, or fury.

   to unleash a blaze of pent-up emotions; a blaze of glory.

5. Informal. blazes, hell.

   Go to blazes!

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verb (used without object)

blazed, blazing

1. to burn brightly (sometimes followed byaway, up, forth ).

   The bonfire blazed away for hours. The dry wood blazed up at the touch of a match.

2. to shine like flame (sometimes followed byforth ).

   Their faces blazed with enthusiasm.

3. to burn with intense feeling or passion (sometimes followed byup ).

   He blazed up at the insult.

4. to shoot steadily or continuously (usually followed byaway ).

   The contestants blazed away at the clay pigeons.

5. to be brilliantly conspicuous.

blaze ² American  

[blayz] / bleɪz /

noun

1. a spot or mark made on a tree, as by painting or notching or by chipping away a piece of the bark, to indicate a trail or boundary.

2. a white area down the center of the face of a horse, cow, etc.

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verb (used with object)

blazed, blazing

1. to mark with blazes.

   to blaze a trail.

2. to lead in forming or finding (a new method, course, etc.).

   His research in rocketry blazed the way for space travel.

blaze ³ American  

[blayz] / bleɪz /

verb (used with object)

blazed, blazing

1. to make known; proclaim; publish.

   Headlines blazed the shocking news.

2. Obsolete. to blow, as from a trumpet.

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blaze ¹ British  

/ bleɪz /

noun

1. a strong fire or flame

2. a very bright light or glare

3. an outburst (of passion, acclaim, patriotism, etc)

4. brilliance; brightness

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verb

1. to burn fiercely

2. to shine brightly

3. (often foll by up) to become stirred, as with anger or excitement

4. (usually foll by away) to shoot continuously

blaze ² British  

/ bleɪz /

noun

1. a mark, usually indicating a path, made on a tree, esp by chipping off the bark

2. a light-coloured marking on the face of a domestic animal, esp a horse

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verb

1. to indicate or mark (a tree, path, etc) with a blaze

2. to explore new territories, areas of knowledge, etc, in such a way that others can follow

blaze ³ British  

/ bleɪz /

verb

1. to make widely known; proclaim

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blaze Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing blaze

• hot as blazes
• like greased lightning (blazes)

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Usage

What does blaze mean? A blaze is a bright flame or large fire, characterized as being very bright or burning very hot. Related to this, a blaze is also anything that is exceptionally bright, colorful, passionate, intense, or sudden, such as a jewel. Also related to this, to blaze means to burn brightly or hotly or to shine like a flame. A blaze is also a spot or mark on a tree used to indicate the direction of a trail. To blaze a trail is to mark trees or other landmarks, like rocks, with a blaze. Figuratively, if you blaze a trail, you are finding a new way. To blaze is also to make known or publish, as in The newspaper blazed the result of the trial on the front page. Example: The house was in a blaze by the time the firefighters arrived but everyone got out safely.

Synonym Usage

See flame.

Etymology

Origin of blaze¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English blase, blease, blese “a flame, blaze,” Old English blase, blæse “torch, lamp”; cognate with Middle High German blas “torch,” German blass (adjective) “pale, whitish”

Origin of blaze²

First recorded in 1635–45; akin to Old Norse blesi, Dutch bles, German Blässe, all meaning “white mark on a beast's face,” and to German adjective blass “pale”; see blaze ¹ ( def. )

Origin of blaze³

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English blasen “to blow (a horn), fan (fire), breathe (flames),” from Middle Dutch blasen “to blow (a horn)”; cognate with Old Norse blāsa “to blow (as wind, or with the mouth), blow a horn”; see also blast

Explanation

A blaze is a bright, strong flame. It can come from a fire, the sun, or anything else that shines or burns brilliantly. A fire is a blaze. Fire, when it's going strong and burning bright, is blazing. The greater the blaze, the harder a fire is to put out. You can also use this word for other types of brightness or shining. When Michael Jordan played in the NBA, he blazed across the league. Fashion trends that catch on quickly blaze across the country. If something spreads or shines like wildfire, it blazes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

blaze blazed blazing

A wildfire that scorched 42,000 hectares in southwest France has finally been declared extinguished, two months after the country's largest blaze since 1949 broke out, authorities said Monday.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

The blaze was the largest recorded in France since a 1949 wildfire in the same region that burned about 50,000 hectares.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

A tractor was clearing debris from a recent blaze.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

Six fire engines were called out at the height of the blaze at the semi-detached property.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

She nodded very slightly, accepting my explanation, the blaze dying out behind her face.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

On a new episode of Hit Parade, host Chris Molanphy explains how Dolly blazed a trail for today’s country/pop crossover musicians like “Choosin’ Texas” singer Ella Langley.

From Slate ● Sep. 24, 2026

Branches were draped with colourful ribbons and ritual wreaths, while bonfires blazed high, ready for the military brotherhood to gather around them.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

Parton’s work blazed a trail for such genre-defying superstars as Shania Twain, the Chicks and Taylor Swift, but her accomplishments went far beyond her music.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Astonishingly vivid images blazed forth onto the theater’s giant screen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

On my closed eyelids the sun glimmered and blazed.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

We woke at 4:30 a.m. to slog through fields from cold morning dew through to blazing midday heat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

Julie Jones, who was also at the coffee morning, said it was too soon to judge ap Iorwerth, but that "he came in all guns blazing".

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Under a blazing sun, clad in black and clutching portraits of their slain leader Ali Khamenei, Iranian pilgrims streamed across the border into Iraq to observe the Arbaeen, the most revered event in Shia Islam.

From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026

Winning back-to-back titles and blazing through this season has brought Angelenos much-needed happiness during a terrible stretch for the city — but winning is what the Dodgers are supposed to do.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Further ahead a blazing fire burns with little pillows spread out around it.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

Related Words

• explode
• flare
• flash
• flicker
• gleam
• glow
• illuminate
• radiate
• shimmer
• shine
• sparkle