What does blowing mean?
'Blowing' is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'blow', one of English's oldest and most versatile verbs, descended directly from Old English 'blāwan'. At its most literal, it describes the movement of air: wind blows, leaves blow, snow blows across open ground. It equally covers the act of forcing air out of the mouth or lungs — blowing out birthday candles, blowing up a balloon, blowing on hot soup — and the production of sound on a wind instrument. Beyond these physical meanings, the word extends into rich figurative territory: blowing money means squandering it, blowing a chance or an exam means ruining it through carelessness, and blowing hot and cold means being inconsistently enthusiastic. Because 'blow' appears in countless idioms, 'blowing' is encountered constantly in both everyday speech and writing. Its connotations range from the neutral and descriptive (weather, breath) to the informal and mildly negative (waste, failure), so writers should match its register to their purpose.
verb (present participle and gerund of blow); also used as a noun in specific sensesThe present participle and gerund of the verb 'blow': to move air, or to be moved by a current of air; more broadly, to expel or force air or gas from something.
- Moving through the air under the force of a current of wind (e.g. leaves blowing).
- Expelling air forcibly from the mouth or lungs (e.g. blowing out candles).
- Producing or sounding a wind instrument by forcing air through it.
- Causing something to move or scatter by means of an air current.
- (Slang/informal) Wasting or squandering money or an opportunity.
"A cold wind was blowing off the mountains as they reached the summit."
"Snow was blowing across the highway, reducing visibility to a few metres."
"He spent the afternoon blowing soap bubbles with his daughter in the garden."
In Old English, the same verb that meant 'to move air' also came to mean 'to bloom' — which is why flowers 'blow' and so does the wind.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blowing
'Blowing' derives from the verb 'blow', which comes from Old English 'blāwan', meaning to blow or breathe, itself from Proto-Germanic '*blēaną'. This Germanic root is cognate with Dutch 'blazen' and German 'blasen', and traces further back to the Proto-Indo-European root '*bhle-', associated with swelling and blowing, which also yields Latin 'flare' and Greek 'phlyzein' via related forms. Interestingly, the same Old English verb developed a separate sense of 'to bloom' or 'come into flower', giving us expressions where blossoms are said to 'blow'. The word has been in continuous use for over a thousand years, accumulating idiomatic meanings along the way.
Related word forms
How blowing is actually used
As the -ing form of the highly polysemous verb 'blow', 'blowing' carries all of that verb's senses, from literal movement of air to figurative uses like wasting money or ruining a chance. Some slang senses are informal or mildly vulgar in certain constructions, so register should match context. The noun use ('a blowing' meaning a blast of air) is rare and largely archaic.
Easily confused with blowing
'Blueing' refers to making something blue or a bluish tinge, while 'blowing' relates to moving air or forcing gas outward.
'Glowing' means emitting steady light or warmth without flame, whereas 'blowing' involves moving air or expelling breath.