blister
Americannoun
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blisters
plural
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a thin vesicle on the skin, containing watery matter or serum, as from a burn or other injury.
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any similar swelling, as an air bubble in a coat of paint.
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a relatively large bubble occurring in glass during blowing.
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Military. a transparent bulge or dome on the fuselage of an airplane, usually for mounting a gun.
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Photography. a bubble of air formed where the emulsion has separated from the base of a film, as because of defective processing.
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a dome or skylight on a building.
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the moving bubble in a spirit level.
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a small blisterlike covering of plastic, usually affixed to a piece of cardboard and containing a small item, as a pen, bolt, or medicinal tablet.
verb (used with object)
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blisters,
present (3rd person singular)
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blistered,
past participle, past
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blistering
present participle
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to raise a blister or blisters on.
These new shoes blistered my feet.
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to criticize or rebuke severely.
The boss blistered his assistant in front of the whole office.
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to beat or thrash; punish severely.
verb (used without object)
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blisters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
blistered,
past participle, past
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blistering
present participle
noun
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a small bubble-like elevation of the skin filled with serum, produced as a reaction to a burn, mechanical irritation, etc
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a swelling containing air or liquid, as on a painted surface
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a transparent dome or any bulge on the fuselage of an aircraft, such as one used for observation
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slang an irritating person
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slang a rebuke
verb
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to have or cause to have blisters
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(tr) to attack verbally with great scorn or sarcasm
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
blistersimple
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blisterssimple
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have blisteredperfect
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has blisteredperfect
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am blisteringprogressive
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are blisteringprogressive
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is blisteringprogressive
-
have been blisteringperfect progressive
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has been blisteringperfect progressive
Past
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blisteredsimple
-
had blisteredperfect
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was blisteringprogressive
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were blisteringprogressive
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had been blisteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of blister
1250–1300; Middle English blister, blester < Old Norse blǣstri, dative of blāstr swelling. See blast, blow 2
Explanation
A blister is a fluid-filled bubble people get where something rubs or burns the skin. Common causes are wearing fancy new shoes, playing sports, and trying to cook bananas flambé. Having a blister is no fun. A blister is a round raised area caused by repeated friction or rubbing. A second-degree burn can also cause a blister. A blister isn’t always a human problem. Plants can get blisters, and sometimes air bubbles on the surface of a painted wall or a shellacked table are called blisters. The verb blister means to form a blister. The Old French root word is blestre, "lump or bump."
Vocabulary lists containing blister
The Distance Between Us
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"The War Works Hard" by Dunya Mikhail
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Neighborhood Odes
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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:
Ciara and her partner Lewis had to become experts in the rare genetic disorder, which causes skin to tear or blister at the slightest touch.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Choi’s advice was to go the other direction: blister them, puree them, drown them in vinegar or chili, add something sweet, blend them into sauces, make them taste like the foods you already crave.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
Right-hander Roki Sasaki, who went on the IL last month with a blister on the middle finger of his right hand, threw a simulated game Wednesday afternoon and could return shortly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
His signature victory was a record-setting blister up Alpe d’Huez in which he roared through costumed, enthusiastic revelers on his way to a fifth stage win.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
“And would you miss me, Amelia? I thought you’d consider it good riddance. I thought I was the blister on your heel these last four years.”
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
It was so hot and humid that Lee Feaster, a native Texas and the father of freshman wideout Boobie Feaster, said on Tuesday that his wife passed out during the game and still had blisters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
"They get blisters on their feet, their eyes become watery and the hot sand burns their skin and eats up their hair when they are sitting," said the 40-year-old who owns around 500 camels.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The result can be swelling, bruising, bleeding, blisters and discoloration of the skin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The balls of both feet and the ends of both pointer toes had been mashed into misshapen blisters.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
It’s almost another hour of adjustments and testing and warnings about not overdoing it, watching for hot spots, and avoiding stump blisters at all cost before I walk out of there.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
Pike is currently in critical condition on a ventilator, with burned and blistered arms, according to her lawyers.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
The lawyer said medics were "working to save Ms. Pike's life" after she arrived with both arms "swollen, burned, and blistered."
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Among this year’s participants was WSJ’s achy, blistered Xavier Martinez.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
Learning a musical instrument can be an arduous journey, one often fraught with blistered fingers, frayed patience and what can seem like an endless series of insurmountable hurdles.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2025
Her throat felt blistered, and her stomach was clenched tighter than a fist.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
The Nasdaq was powered to records by the outlook for blistering AI earnings growth, said J.D.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The result was bubbling, blistering and peeling that appeared just weeks after the renovation was completed.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
Punishingly hot temperatures coupled with drastically high humidity will peak Wednesday, making temperatures feel even more intense than previously blistering days, with real relief not expected to arrive until Friday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
First, the 31-year-old fired home a blistering equaliser after Marcelino Nunez slipped under no pressure, presenting Matheus Cunha with a clear run at the Ipswich goal, which allowed him to set up his captain.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
The pain in his head lessened — he looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers — they were blistering before his eyes.
From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions 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.
