blow 1 (bl )v. blew (bl  ), blown (bln), blow·ing, blows v.intr. 1. To be in a state of motion. Used of the air or of wind. 2. To move along or be carried by or as if by the wind: Her hat blew away. 3. To expel a current of air, as from the mouth or from a bellows. 4. To produce a sound by expelling a current of air, as in sounding a wind instrument or a whistle. 5. To breathe hard; pant. 6. To storm: It blew all night. 7. To release air or gas suddenly; burst or explode: The tire blew. 8. a. To fail or break down, as from being operated under extreme or improper conditions: The furnace blew during the cold snap. b. To melt or otherwise become disabled. Used of a fuse. 9. To spout moist air from the blowhole. Used of a whale. 10. Informal To boast. 11. Slang To go away; depart. v.tr. 1. To cause to move by means of a current of air. 2. To expel (air) from the mouth. 3. To cause air or gas to be expelled suddenly from: blew a tire. 4. To drive a current of air on, in, or through: blew my hair dry after I shampooed it. 5. To clear out or make free of obstruction by forcing air through: constantly blowing his nose in allergy season. 6. To shape or form (glass, for example) by forcing air or gas through at the end of a pipe. 7. Music a. To cause (a wind instrument) to sound. b. To sound: a bugle blowing taps. 8. a. To cause to be out of breath. b. To allow (a winded horse) to regain its breath. 9. To demolish by the force of an explosion: An artillery shell blew our headquarters apart. 10. To lay or deposit eggs in. Used of certain insects. 11. a. To cause to fail or break down, as by operating at extreme or improper conditions: blew the engine on the last lap. b. To cause (a fuse) to melt or become disabled. 12. Slang a. To spend (money) freely and rashly. See Synonyms at waste. b. To spend money freely on; treat: blew me to a sumptuous dinner. 13. Vulgar Slang To perform fellatio on. 14. a. Slang To spoil or lose through ineptitude. See Synonyms at botch. b. To cause (a covert intelligence operation or operative) to be revealed and thereby jeopardized: a story in the press that blew their cover; an agent who was blown by the opposition. 15. Slang To depart (a place) in a great hurry: Let's blow this city no later than noon. n. Phrasal Verbs: 1. The act or an instance of blowing. 2. a. A blast of air or wind. b. A storm. 3. Informal An act of bragging. 4. Slang Cocaine. blow away Slang 1. To kill by shooting, especially with a firearm. 2. To defeat decisively. 3. To affect intensely; overwhelm: That concert blew me away. blow in Slang To arrive, especially when unexpected. blow off 1. To relieve or release (pressure); let off. 2. Slang To choose not to attend or accompany: They wanted us to come along, but we blew them off. blow out 1. To extinguish or be extinguished by a gust of air: blow out a candle. 2. To fail, as an electrical apparatus. 3. To erupt in an uncontrolled manner. Used of a gas or oil well. blow over To subside, wane, or pass over with little lasting effect: The storm blew over quickly. The scandal will soon blow over. blow up Idioms: 1. To come into being: A storm blew up. 2. To fill with air; inflate: blow up a tire. 3. To enlarge (a photographic image or print). 4. To explode: bombs blowing up. 5. To lose one's temper. blow a fuse/gasket Slang To explode with anger. blow hot and cold To change one's opinion often on a matter; vacillate. blow off steam To give vent to pent-up emotion. blow (one's) cool Slang To lose one's composure. blow (one's) mind Slang To affect with intense emotion, such as amazement, excitement, or shock. blow (one's) top/stack Informal To lose one's temper. blow out of proportion To make more of than is reasonable; exaggerate. blow smoke 1. To speak deceptively. 2. To brag or exaggerate. [Middle English blowen, from Old English bl  wan; see bhl - in Indo-European roots.] |
| blow 2 (bl) n. 1. A sudden hard stroke or hit, as with the fist or an object. 2. An unexpected shock or calamity. 3. An unexpected attack; an assault. [Middle English blaw.] |
| blow 3 (bl) n. 1. A mass of blossoms: peach blow. 2. The state of blossoming. intr. & tr.v. blew (bl ), blown (bln), blow·ing, blows To bloom or cause to bloom. [From Middle English blowen, to bloom, from Old English bl wan; see bhel-3 in Indo-European roots.] |
blow up
vb (adverb)
1. to explode or cause to explode
2. (tr) to increase the importance of (something) they blew the whole affair up
3. (intr) to come into consideration we lived well enough before this thing blew up
4. (intr) to come into existence with sudden force a storm had blown up
5. Informal to lose one's temper (with a person)
6. (tr) Informal to reprimand (someone)
7. (Miscellaneous Technologies / Photography) (tr) Informal to enlarge the size or detail of (a photograph)
n blow-up
1. an explosion
2. (Miscellaneous Technologies / Photography) Informal an enlarged photograph or part of a photograph
3. Informal a fit of temper or argument
4. Also called blowing up Informal a reprimand
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Verb | 1. | blow up - cause to burst with a violent release of energy; "We exploded the nuclear bomb" change integrity - change in physical make-up fulminate - cause to explode violently and with loud noise dynamite - blow up with dynamite; "The rock was dynamited" |
| 2. | blow up - make large; "blow up an image" photography, picture taking - the act of taking and printing photographs increase - make bigger or more; "The boss finally increased her salary"; "The university increased the number of students it admitted" scale down, reduce - make smaller; "reduce an image" | |
| 3. | blow up - get very angry and fly into a rage; "The professor combusted when the student didn't know the answer to a very elementary question"; "Spam makes me go ballistic" flip one's lid, flip one's wig, fly off the handle, go ballistic, have a fit, have kittens, hit the ceiling, hit the roof, lose one's temper, throw a fit, blow a fuse, blow one's stack, combust rage - feel intense anger; "Rage against the dying of the light!" | |
| 4. | blow up - add details to glorify - cause to seem more splendid; "You are glorifying a rather mediocre building" exaggerate, hyperbolise, hyperbolize, overstate, amplify, magnify, overdraw - to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth; "tended to romanticize and exaggerate this `gracious Old South' imagery" | |
| 5. | blow up - burst and release energy as through a violent chemical or physical reaction;"the bomb detonated at noon"; "The Molotov cocktail exploded" | |
| 6. | blow up - exaggerate or make bigger; "The charges were inflated" increase - make bigger or more; "The boss finally increased her salary"; "The university increased the number of students it admitted" puff up - make larger or distend; "The estimates were puffed up" | |
| 7. | blow up - fill with gas or air; "inflate a balloons" reflate - inflate again; "reflate the balloon" expand - make bigger or wider in size, volume, or quantity; "expand the house by adding another wing" | |
| 8. | blow up - to swell or cause to enlarge, "Her faced puffed up from the drugs"; "puffed out chests" |
Translations
? blow up
vi
(lit, fig, gale, crisis, row) → ausbrechen; his allegations could blow up in his face → seine Behauptungen könnten nach hinten losgehen
(fig inf, person) → explodieren (inf)
vt sep
tyre, balloon → aufblasen
photo → vergrößern
(fig: = magnify, exaggerate) event → aufbauschen (into zu)
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