blow-dry
Americanverb (used with object)
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blow-dries,
present (3rd person singular)
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blow-dried,
past participle, past
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blow-drying
present participle
noun
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blow-drys,
plural
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blow-dries
plural
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
blow-drysimple
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blow-driessimple
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have blow-driedperfect
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has blow-driedperfect
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am blow-dryingprogressive
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are blow-dryingprogressive
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is blow-dryingprogressive
-
have been blow-dryingperfect progressive
-
has been blow-dryingperfect progressive
Past
-
blow-driedsimple
-
had blow-driedperfect
-
was blow-dryingprogressive
-
were blow-dryingprogressive
-
had been blow-dryingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of blow-dry
First recorded in 1965–70; back formation from blow-dryer
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:
Social media has spurred an increase in retailers dedicated to making Americans look good in photos, from blow-dry hair salons to waxing chains.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026
On her return to the daytime TV show, Garraway joked that she was "looking forward to a blow-dry".
From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2024
“Make sure that you know how to blow-dry hair really well,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2022
Moving up the complexity scale are clear films that you apply indoors to the framing around a window with double-stick tape, then blow-dry to shrink it and make it taut.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 4, 2022
Even taking the time to blow-dry my hair, I was soon out of things to do in the bathroom.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
She said that she blow-dries her hair on medium heat using a Dyson Airwrap attachment, flat irons it and uses “an old-school pressing comb” to straighten her curly hair.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2024
That’s a lot of what hairstylist Kayla Gowell hears as she snips, sprays, primps and blow-dries.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 17, 2024
When I was 8, my mom would get her hair bleached and tell the hairdresser, “Don’t worry, my son gets out of school at 2. He blow-dries my hair perfectly.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 13, 2023
Traditional services including cuts, blow-dries and colour treatments will also be available.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2021
Under these exhortations, Kayla goes through her morning routine: following a YouTube “everyday makeup tutorial,” she spackles her skin with concealer, lines her eyes, and blow-dries her hair.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 1, 2018
Roughly 35 people attended the Monday event at Extended Beauty Bar, where Hobdy and her team of stylists did an array of services, including wash and blow-drys, haircuts and trims, silk presses and hair extensions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 24, 2025
How wonderful to be blessed to get my hair done,’” said Martin, 60, who got her hair washed and blow-dried, dyed black and braided down in a protective style so she can wear wigs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 24, 2025
These ethereal insulating kits, comprised of double-sided tape and plastic film, become nearly invisible when blow-dried.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2023
Granted, this is not the regular political fare voters are accustomed to hearing from cautious, poll-tested, blow-dried politicians.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 20, 2023
Lynn Fitch looked how she almost always does during public appearances: dyed-blonde hair blow-dried straight and neat, tasteful jewellery and a monochrome suit, this time in powder blue.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2022
He was dressed, brushed, coiffed, and blow-dried not just to be seen but to be looked at.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
We first hear the song as Tony is getting ready to go out, blow-drying his hair, trying on various gold chains and meticulously buttoning his best dress shirt.
From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2022
It feels like blow-drying your face instead of the back of your head — except you can’t turn it off.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 10, 2021
I’ve stopped blow-drying my hair — I used to blow-dry and iron everything — but now I have to figure out what my hair wants to do.
From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2021
But around two years ago, she was getting ready for work by blow-drying her hair when she noticed smoke and the smell of burning.
From The Verge ● Jan. 28, 2020
I stomp to the bathroom, where Mom is blow-drying her hair.
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
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.
