blistering
Americanadjective
-
(of weather) extremely hot
-
(of criticism) extremely harsh
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of blistering
Explanation
Use the adjective blistering to mean extremely hot. You might love living in Georgia, except for the blistering heat in the summer time. A baker has to remove her loaves of bread carefully from the oven because of the blistering heat. You can also use blistering to mean a different kind of heat: "Her blistering criticism took him by surprise." Or a racer might set out on a track at a blistering pace, one that's incredibly fast or impressive. The original, hot meaning of blistering comes from the idea that something is "hot enough to form blisters."
Vocabulary lists containing blistering
The Sweltering Words of Summer
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The Kite Runner
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This Week in Words: September 25 - October 1, 2017
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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.
A full 20 years after the screen debut of the satire, the topspin of its best lines still whizzes with the same precision and blistering flight path of its 2006 self.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
His average four-seam fastball in 2026 registers at 99.9 mph and has topped out at a blistering 103.6.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
The young Caro matches the blistering energy that Macias puts forward for an impressive two-hander, while her character also experiences disturbing visions of the past.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
The blistering rally will be tested this week when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the jobs report on Friday.
From Barron's • May 31, 2026
It was bad enough being an aviation cadet without having to act like a soldier in the blistering heat every Sunday afternoon.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
