blown-up
Americanadjective
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(of a picture, photograph, image, etc.) enlarged.
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damaged or destroyed by demolition, explosion, etc..
blown-up bridges.
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(of a ball, balloon, etc.) inflated.
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overexpanded; unduly large.
a blown-up sense of importance.
Etymology
Origin of blown-up
First recorded in 1860–65
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.
She decorated the space with blown-up photographs from New York Fashion Week, old family photos from Puerto Rico and a Barbie print.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
Fury’s unbeaten run continued but his credentials to challenge at the very top appeared lacking when he was dropped by the unknown Neven Pajkic in 2011 and by blown-up cruiserweight Steve Cunningham two years later.
From BBC ● May 16, 2024
Tupac Shakur, dressed in a suit, stared somberly from a blown-up photo that was erected on an easel like at a memorial service.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2023
Gas now starts flowing from the pipe like air from a blown-up balloon.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 2, 2023
I glance at the end of the booth and see hookah sets, golden swords, and blown-up black-and-white harem pictures from some previous era propped against, yes, camel bridles.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
