blaze
1 Americannoun
-
a bright flame or fire.
the welcome blaze of the hearth.
-
a bright, hot gleam or glow.
the blaze of day.
-
a sparkling brightness.
a blaze of jewels.
-
a sudden, intense outburst, as of fire, passion, or fury.
to unleash a blaze of pent-up emotions; a blaze of glory.
-
Informal. blazes, hell.
Go to blazes!
verb (used without object)
-
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.
-
to shine like flame (sometimes followed byforth ).
Their faces blazed with enthusiasm.
-
to burn with intense feeling or passion (sometimes followed byup ).
He blazed up at the insult.
-
to shoot steadily or continuously (usually followed byaway ).
The contestants blazed away at the clay pigeons.
-
to be brilliantly conspicuous.
noun
-
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.
-
a white area down the center of the face of a horse, cow, etc.
verb (used with object)
-
to mark with blazes.
to blaze a trail.
-
to lead in forming or finding (a new method, course, etc.).
His research in rocketry blazed the way for space travel.
noun
-
a strong fire or flame
-
a very bright light or glare
-
an outburst (of passion, acclaim, patriotism, etc)
-
brilliance; brightness
verb
-
to burn fiercely
-
to shine brightly
-
(often foll by up) to become stirred, as with anger or excitement
-
(usually foll by away) to shoot continuously
noun
-
a mark, usually indicating a path, made on a tree, esp by chipping off the bark
-
a light-coloured marking on the face of a domestic animal, esp a horse
verb
-
to indicate or mark (a tree, path, etc) with a blaze
-
to explore new territories, areas of knowledge, etc, in such a way that others can follow
verb
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.
Vocabulary lists containing blaze
Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Inferno Lingo: Fire Vocabulary
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
More than 400 firefighters have been fighting the blaze.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The fast-moving blaze prompted widespread evacuation orders as multiple helicopters vied to douse the flames.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
Thick, tough evergreen needles are specially adapted to withstand drought and cold, but the thinner, broader leaves of deciduous trees cannot survive such harsh conditions and so go out in a blaze of autumnal glory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
The upscale outdoor mall survived the Palisades fire, but needed refurbishment to eliminate any potential contaminants from the blaze.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
His eyes blaze with conviction, throwing sparks that burn where they lay.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
It blazed the trail for premium seating and luxury lounges that rivals now copy, for instance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 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
She blazed away like a six-shooter, hitting him with words.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
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
It’s almost fall and the weather will be cooling, but Americans’ energy costs are going to be blazing hot.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Fire spread from a blazing van on the A31 on 9 August, destroying ancient oak and beech trees, rare heathland and wildlife across an area of more than 100 hectares.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
She looked full at him, and her face was blazing.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
