blow off
Britishverb
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to permit (a gas under pressure, esp steam) to be released
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slang (intr) to emit wind noisily from the anus
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informal (tr) to reject or jilt (someone)
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See steam
noun
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a discharge of a surplus fluid, such as steam, under pressure
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a device through which such a discharge is made
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Vent one's strong feelings; see blow off steam .
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Disregard, ignore; evade something important. For example, If you blow off your homework, you're bound to run into trouble on the exam . [ Slang ; second half of 1900s]
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Overcome, defeat easily, as in With Rob pitching, we'll have no trouble blowing off the opposing team . [ Slang ; 1950s] Also see blow away , def. 2.
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Ignore, abandon, refuse to take part. For example, The college is blowing off our request for a new student center . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]
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.
When I need to blow off steam, I like to go for a bike ride.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2025
That prompted a radical change of approach that led to the Kazakh taking a trip to Las Vegas that month to blow off some steam.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2025
“If Tommy wanted to hit for 15 minutes to build some confidence, blow off steam or take a break from his homework, he could just go outside and do it,” John said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2024
Some people blow off steam by yelling at their television screens.
From Seattle Times ● May 10, 2024
Frightful pulled a feather from her breast and watched it blow off on a wind.
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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.
