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
-
has blisteredperfect
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am blisteringprogressive
-
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:
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
Nerve damage means a blister or pebble in the shoe can go unnoticed until it creates a serious wound.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026
I’d let them blister and slump just slightly at the edges.
From Salon ● Feb. 18, 2026
Djokovic says he largely feels fine physically, with a blister on his foot his biggest concern.
From BBC ● Jan. 28, 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
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
In the morning—before my aching knee and bulging blisters relegated my saunter to a limp—a 32-mile walk around Manhattan sounded like a good way to spend the first Saturday in May.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
While it can cause painful blisters or ulcers that recur over time, it can lay dormant with most people having no symptoms - and Helen never had a cold sore herself.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026
We’re talking blisters, double-stick tape, and tears all over the place.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
I liked the sausage and kale and look forward to making her blistered Jimmy Nardello pepper pizzas this summer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
"I looked like a plucked turkey because my skin had blistered so much," Chris says.
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2025
As I phrased it back when I first wrote about the dish, “The cheeses meld together to form the most delicious, frico-laced roasted and blistered fennel imaginable.”
From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2025
He said he had “serious burns” to his face and arms and that the incident had singed his eyebrows and blistered his mouth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2024
He had taken his shoes off to dry blistered feet.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
She earned her second Emmy in 2021 for her blistering turn as polarizing British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in “The Crown.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
In January, Nanos said he hoped the TV series would cast a heroic light on his jurisdiction, where deputies work in daytime’s blistering heat and the blanket darkness of desert night.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
It contains a sap which irritates skin when it is exposed to sunlight and can cause blistering and swelling.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
In a blistering attack after being ousted, Fedorov said Syrsky had hobbled his attempts at modernisation -- on procurement, equipment and mobilisation.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
With a blistering top speed of 25 kph, it's not an action-packed thrill ride.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
