What does blow mean?
Blow is one of English's most versatile verbs. At its core, it describes the movement of air: wind blows, a fan blows, and we blow on soup to cool it. It extends naturally into many domains — blowing out candles, blowing glass, blowing bubbles, blowing a whistle, or blowing up a balloon all involve pushing air or gas outward. In figurative use, 'to blow' can mean to squander ('he blew his savings'), to ruin an opportunity, or to shatter someone's composure ('that news blew my mind'). As a noun, a blow is a physical strike, as in boxing, or a figurative setback, as in 'the news came as a devastating blow'. The verb is irregular, shifting from present 'blow' to past 'blew' and participle 'blown'. Because its informal senses range from playful to vulgar, register matters: it is perfectly at home in everyday speech but should be handled with some care in formal contexts.
(of air) to move; to propel something using air expelled from the mouth or another source.
"Wind blew steadily from the north all afternoon."
(informal) to spend wastefully, ruin, or lose (an opportunity).
"He blew his entire bonus on a single weekend."
A hard strike with a hand, weapon, or object.
"The boxer landed a crushing blow in the third round."
An unexpected shock or adverse event.
"Losing the contract was a serious blow to the firm."
Used chiefly for repeated strikes or setbacks.
"The army absorbed several heavy blows during the campaign."
The same four letters can mean a kiss blown to a lover, a boxer's knockout punch, and what you do with your salary — English rarely works this hard.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blow
Blow derives from Old English blāwan, meaning to blow or breathe, which comes from Proto-Germanic *blēaną. This root also gave rise to related Germanic words such as German blasen and Dutch blazen. The noun sense of 'a hard strike' is a later development, attested from Middle English onward. Its cognates trace back to the same Indo-European root that produced words connected to breath and inflation, including 'blast' and 'bluster'.
Related word forms
How blow is actually used
As a verb, 'blow' is irregular: past tense 'blew', past participle 'blown'. Informally it carries negative senses — wasting money, ruining a chance, or (vulgarly) sexual connotations — so context matters in formal writing.
Easily confused with blow
'Blow' is a verb meaning to move air; 'blue' is a colour.