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• blast
  blast

  noun

  a sudden and violent gust of wind.
• -blast
  -blast

  a combining form meaning “bud, sprout,” “embryo,” “formative cells or cell layer,” used in the formation of compound words.

blast

¹ American  

[blast] / blæst /

noun

• blasts
  plural

1. a sudden and violent gust of wind.

   Wintry blasts chilled us to the marrow.

   Synonyms:

   storm, blow, gale, squall

2. the blowing of a trumpet, whistle, etc..

   One blast of the siren was enough to clear the street.

   Synonyms:

   screech, blare

3. a loud, sudden sound or noise.

   The radio let out an awful blast before I could turn it off.

4. a forcible stream of air from the mouth, bellows, or the like.

5. Machinery.

   1. air forced into a furnace by a blower to increase the rate of combustion.

   2. a jet of steam directed up a smokestack, as of a steam locomotive, to increase draft.

   3. a draft thus increased.

6. a forceful or explosive throw, hit, etc..

   a blast down the third-base line.

7. Slang.

   1. a party or riotously good time.

      Did we have a blast last night!

   2. something that gives great pleasure or enjoyment; thrill; treat.

      Duck hunting in Australia is a real blast!

8. a vigorous outburst of criticism; attack.

9. an electronic message sent simultaneously to a large number of people: e-blast advertising;

   an email blast;

   e-blast advertising;

   an SMS text blast.

10. blast wave.

11. Mining, Civil Engineering. the charge of dynamite or other explosive used at one firing in blasting operations.

12. the act of exploding; explosion.

    Some say the blast was in the next county.

    Synonyms:

    outburst, detonation

13. any pernicious or destructive influence, especially on animals or plants; a blight.

14. the sudden death of buds, flowers, or young fruit.

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verb (used with object)

• blasts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• blasted,
  past participle,  past
• blasting
  present participle

1. to play loudly or make a loud noise on.

   to blast rock music;

   to blast a horn.

2. to cause to shrivel or wither; blight.

3. to affect with any harmful influence; ruin; wreck.

   Failure in the exam blasted her hopes for college.

   It was an indiscretion that blasted his good reputation.

   Synonyms:

   demolish

4. to shatter, break up, or dislodge by or as if by an explosion.

   Their explosives were inadequate to blast the granite.

5. to make, form, open up, etc., by blasting.

   to blast a tunnel through a mountain.

6. to show to be false, unreliable, etc.; discredit.

   His facts soundly blasted the new evidence.

7. Informal. to curse; damn (usually followed by it or an object).

   Blast it, there's the phone again!

   Blast the time, we've got to finish this work.

8. to censure or criticize vigorously; denounce.

   In his campaign speech he really blasts the other party.

9. to hit or propel with great force: They were blasted into outer space.

   He blasted a homer that tied the game.

   They were blasted into outer space.

10. to shoot.

    The terrorists blasted him down.

verb (used without object)

• blasts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• blasted,
  past participle,  past
• blasting
  present participle

1. to produce a loud, blaring sound: His voice blasted until the microphone was turned down.

   The trumpets blasted as the overture began.

   His voice blasted until the microphone was turned down.

2. to shoot.

   He whipped out his revolver and started blasting.

3. Slang. to take narcotics.

verb phrase

1. blast off

   1. (of a rocket) to leave a launch pad under its own power.

   2. (of an astronaut) to travel aloft in a rocket.

idioms

1. at full blast, at maximum capacity; at or with full volume or speed: Also full blast.

   The factory is going at full blast.

-blast ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “bud, sprout,” “embryo,” “formative cells or cell layer,” used in the formation of compound words.

   ectoblast.

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blast ¹ British  

/ blɑːst /

noun

1. an explosion, as of dynamite

2. 1. the rapid movement of air away from the centre of an explosion, combustion of rocket fuel, etc

   2. a wave of overpressure caused by an explosion; shock wave

3. the charge of explosive used in a single explosion

4. a sudden strong gust of wind or air

5. a sudden loud sound, as of a trumpet

6. a violent verbal outburst, as of criticism

7. a forcible jet or stream of air, esp one used to intensify the heating effect of a furnace, increase the draught in a steam engine, or break up coal at a coalface

8. any of several diseases of plants and animals, esp one producing withering in plants

9. slang a very enjoyable or thrilling experience

   the party was a blast

10. at maximum speed, volume, etc

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interjection

1. slang an exclamation of annoyance (esp in phrases such as blast it! and blast him! )

verb

1. to destroy or blow up with explosives, shells, etc

2. to make or cause to make a loud harsh noise

3. (tr) to remove, open, etc, by an explosion

   to blast a hole in a wall

4. (tr) to ruin; shatter

   the rain blasted our plans for a picnic

5. to wither or cause to wither; blight or be blighted

6. to criticize severely

7. to shoot or shoot at

   he blasted the hat off her head

   he blasted away at the trees

-blast ² British  

combining form

1. (in biology) indicating an embryonic cell or formative layer

   mesoblast

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blast More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing blast

• full blast

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Usage

What does blast mean? A blast is a loud, sudden noise, as in The blast of the fire alarm woke Kehinde out of a deep sleep. Blasts are typically associated with the sound and force behind them, and often this force will be caused by a gust of wind or heat that is emanating from some type of explosion or machine. To blast is to make a loud, sudden noise, as when you blow into a trumpet. To blast is also to destroy or break up, as in The engineers blasted the rock in the side of the mountain to create a tunnel. Figuratively, a blast is a strong verbal attack or criticism. To blast someone is to criticize them in this way, as in Jada’s parents blasted her for staying out all night, and now she’s grounded for a month. A blast is also a really fun party or thrill, as in Luis was surprised at what a blast he had at rock climbing. Example: I heard a loud blast from the neighboring field and went over to see what happened.

Synonym Usage

See wind ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• blaster
  noun
• blastier
  adjective
• blastiest
  adjective
• blasty
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• blasts
  plural

Participles

• blasting
  present
• blasted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• blast
  simple
• blasts
  simple
• have blasted
  perfect
• has blasted
  perfect
• am blasting
  progressive
• are blasting
  progressive
• is blasting
  progressive
• have been blasting
  perfect progressive
• has been blasting
  perfect progressive

Past

• blasted
  simple
• had blasted
  perfect
• was blasting
  progressive
• were blasting
  progressive
• had been blasting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will blast
  simple
• will have blasted
  perfect
• will be blasting
  progressive
• will have been blasting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of blast¹

First recorded before 1000; 1955–60 blast for def. 7a; Middle English (noun and verb); Old English blǣst (noun) “a blowing”; akin to Old Norse blāstr, Old High German blāst; see blow ²

Origin of -blast²

< Greek, combining form of blastós a bud, sprout

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Explanation

A blast is an explosion, or a sudden sharp noise. When you blast someone, you either shoot them, or hit them with a verbal explosion––a tirade of criticism. Your teacher might blast your class for being rowdy; she’ll go on and on about how you are acting like first graders. On the Fourth of July, you might hear a different kind of blast — first your neighbors' bottle rockets, then the explosion of fireworks sponsored by your town. It's very exciting to watch a rocket launch into space––little kids love to play at the game, chanting, "5...4...3...2...1...blast off!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

blast blasts blasted blasting

The blast came on the 11th pitch of the at-bat—fitting for a player whose entire existence in the major leagues is the result of unrelenting tenacity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

These receptors have played a central role in understanding how crops recognize and defend themselves against blast disease and other infections.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

Clarkson defended her decision to criticise the store on social media, saying: "I never blast people but you my friend were an exception."

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

That was the case with hydraulic mining in the West, which involved aiming a torrent of water under high pressure to blast away soil and boulders to expose the underlying gold veins.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

The logs giving him shelter had protected him from the worst of the blast.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

But after a similarly unremarkable start to the same composer’s “Pines of Rome,” the evening’s final piece, Mr. Petrenko and the Berliners delivered the sonic blasts longed for all night.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korea's leader, responded by calling Seoul "really despicable" on Friday and once again denied Pyongyang was behind the blasts.

From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026

South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul previously said on Tuesday that the blasts were a "clear" violation of the 1953 armistice, which halted active combat in the Korean War.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

If you’re a true Slate fanatic, head over to our special archival homepage for even more blasts from the past.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

Then Coach blasts his favorite dance music, and before you know it 32 we’re all doing the Cha-Cha Slide: To the left, take it back now, fall.

From "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander

If Eagles kicker Jake Elliott had blasted a kick for a touchback, the Jaguars would have had almost no time—with no timeouts—to make something happen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

Michael Krivor, a marine archaeologist on the trip, said he is currently concerned about a weather pattern traveling from east to west that could interfere with "safe transit in and out of the blasted channels".

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Because the volcano erupted beneath the ocean, it blasted enormous quantities of salty seawater upward along with volcanic ash.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

Strong surf across Southern California this weekend blasted through a seawall in Long Beach, caused a massive sinkhole at a celebrity’s Malibu home and damaged several Dana Point homes, among other issues.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

Rain and wind blasted in through the hole, and Natalie turned away from the spray.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

At its simplest, that works by blasting signals to drown out, confuse or supplant an adversary’s communications.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Maximum winds with the storm were blasting at 180 mph, the center said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

“Good morning, your honor,” Navarrete said, her voice barely audible over the air conditioning blasting in her office.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

"At first it was the blasting and the tremors from underground, and we would feel our flat shake," 45-year-old Voneen Trompeter told AFP in Roodepoort, northwest of central Johannesburg.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

The music was still blasting from the stereo.

From "Hopping Mad (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #4)" by Franklin W. Dixon

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Related Words

• blow up
• bomb
• burst
• damage
• demolish
• destroy
• detonate
• injure
• kill
• shatter
• wreck

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