# blow

/ˈbɫoʊ/ (US) · /blˈəʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/blow
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. moving air

verb · CEFR A2

to move air, like the wind or when you push air out of your mouth.

For teachers: to produce or be moved by a current of air. Intransitive when referring to the wind; transitive when propelling an object.

- A cold wind began to blow from the north as the sun went down.
- The wind blew so fiercely during the storm that several ancient oaks in the park were completely uprooted.

### 2. to fail or ruin

verb · CEFR B1 · Informal

to fail at something or lose a great opportunity by making a mistake.

For teachers: to fail at a task or squander an opportunity through incompetence or error.

- I had a chance to win the game, but I blew it by missing the final shot.
- The candidate blew his chances of winning the election when he made those controversial remarks during the live debate.

### 3. to explode

verb · CEFR B1

to break or be destroyed by an explosion.

For teachers: to cause to explode or to be destroyed by internal pressure or explosives. Often used with 'up'.

- The soldiers had to blow the bridge to stop the enemy from crossing.
- The demolition crew prepared to blow the old factory building at dawn to make way for the new housing development.

### 4. to spend money recklessly

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal · Slang

to spend a lot of money very quickly on things you do not need.

For teachers: to squander or spend money recklessly and wastefully.

- He blew his entire paycheck on a new designer watch.
- After winning a small fortune in the lottery, he managed to blow the entire sum on luxury cars and expensive parties within a year.

### 5. to be bad

verb · CEFR B2 · Slang · Informal

you say this when something is very annoying or of bad quality.

For teachers: to be extremely unpleasant, disappointing, or of poor quality.

- It really blows that we have to work on a Saturday.
- The new sequel to the movie really blows; the plot is nonsensical and the acting is subpar.

### 6. sexual act

verb · CEFR C1 · Vulgar · Slang

to perform oral sex on someone.

For teachers: to perform fellatio upon a partner.

- The movie was rated R because it contained scenes of people blowing each other.
- The script was censored by the studio because it contained explicit references to characters blowing one another in the club.

### 7. a physical hit

noun · CEFR B1

a hard hit with a hand, a tool, or a weapon.

For teachers: a powerful stroke with a hand, weapon, or hard object.

- The boxer landed a heavy blow to his opponent's jaw.
- The victim was struck a fatal blow to the head with a blunt instrument during the robbery.

### 8. a disappointment

noun · CEFR B2

a sudden event that causes sadness or disappointment.

For teachers: a sudden shock or misfortune that causes emotional distress or failure.

- Losing his job was a major blow to his confidence.
- The sudden cancellation of the funding was a crushing blow to the research team's long-term goals.

### 9. drugs

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang

a slang word for cocaine.

For teachers: a slang term for powder cocaine.

- The police arrested the man for carrying a small bag of blow.
- Undercover agents spent months infiltrating the ring to identify the primary suppliers of blow in the city.

### 11. to bloom

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary · Archaic

to open up and produce flowers.

For teachers: to blossom or produce flowers; to be in a state of bloom.

- The roses began to blow in the early summer heat.
- The poet described a garden where the lilies blow in the soft moonlight of May.

## Examples

- Losing the game was a big blow.
- The factory's closure was a terrible blow to the local economy.
- While the initial rejection was a significant blow to her confidence, it ultimately strengthened her resolve to prove her critics wrong.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.