blaze
1 Americannoun
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a bright flame or fire.
the welcome blaze of the hearth.
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a bright, hot gleam or glow.
the blaze of day.
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a sparkling brightness.
a blaze of jewels.
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a sudden, intense outburst, as of fire, passion, or fury.
to unleash a blaze of pent-up emotions; a blaze of glory.
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Informal. blazes, hell.
Go to blazes!
verb (used without object)
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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.
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to shine like flame (sometimes followed byforth ).
Their faces blazed with enthusiasm.
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to burn with intense feeling or passion (sometimes followed byup ).
He blazed up at the insult.
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to shoot steadily or continuously (usually followed byaway ).
The contestants blazed away at the clay pigeons.
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to be brilliantly conspicuous.
noun
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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.
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a white area down the center of the face of a horse, cow, etc.
verb (used with object)
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to mark with blazes.
to blaze a trail.
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to lead in forming or finding (a new method, course, etc.).
His research in rocketry blazed the way for space travel.
noun
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a strong fire or flame
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a very bright light or glare
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an outburst (of passion, acclaim, patriotism, etc)
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brilliance; brightness
verb
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to burn fiercely
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to shine brightly
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(often foll by up) to become stirred, as with anger or excitement
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(usually foll by away) to shoot continuously
noun
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a mark, usually indicating a path, made on a tree, esp by chipping off the bark
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a light-coloured marking on the face of a domestic animal, esp a horse
verb
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to indicate or mark (a tree, path, etc) with a blaze
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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
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"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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Inferno Lingo: Fire Vocabulary
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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:
Sierka couldn’t help but think of everything that burned in the 2018 blaze.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
More than 400 firefighters have been fighting the blaze.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
A brush fire in the mountains west of Los Angeles prompted evacuation warnings from officials on Thursday, as powerful winds risked spreading the blaze rapidly.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 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 world was a blaze of light, and the snow began to sink into the ground.
From "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen
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
He should have had another assist, but Palmer blazed his effort over the bar.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 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
Edward Ashton’s reddened eyes blazed with shame and fury.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
This clearly sounds like a blazing hot take that will chill soon and embarrass often.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
De Zerbi bemoaned Tottenham's decision-making with Marmoush a culprit, blazing over in the second half with Andy Robertson on an overlap and Mohammed Kudus waiting for a far-post tap in.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
February temperatures experienced by snowbirds in Florida and the Southwest reveal little about what’s in store when August heat is blazing.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Harry's 2023 autobiography, "Spare", lifted the veil on his royal rifts, describing William as his "arch-nemesis" and alleging he physically attacked him in a blazing 2019 row about Meghan.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
The prophets, ghostly in their white robes, carried blazing torches.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
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