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

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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 crew specialising in hazardous materials was sent to the scene because of the presence of a lithium-ion battery, although it was not clear whether this was linked to the blaze.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

It took about three hours to get the blaze under control, authorities said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

Forestry and Land Scotland say the blaze around Glenmore in the Cairngorms may have led to the loss of many so-called "granny pines" which have matured over centuries.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Gazing into that fantastic blaze, every viewer will see something different, something new with each watch.

From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026

“Get some soldiers and light a fire down in the ditch. Make it a proper blaze, good and hot.”

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Bruno Fernandes and Amad both blazed off target when they should have done much better.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

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

Fiery torches blazed outside the riverside theater, welcoming a combination of well-dressed invitees and lucky ticket-bearing fans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

So strange, like a dragon or a flamethrower blazed a trail.

From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Adding to the dark mood are police helicopters hovering, with searchlights blazing, to enforce a late-night curfew in the Les Halles and République sections of Paris.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

Drawn towards the blazing stadium floodlights, Bogong swarms caused havoc at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

AI development is moving ahead at blazing speed—much faster than expected—feeding a growing sense of dread within the companies that it was in danger of spinning out of control.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 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

These women carried themselves like queens, chins jutted out defiantly and eyes blazing with confidence, with power.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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Related Words

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• gleam
• glow
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• shimmer
• shine
• sparkle

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