9 VERB If you say that something blows an event, situation, or argument into a particular extreme state, especially an uncertain or unpleasant state, you mean that it causes it to be in that state. □ [V n prep] Someone took my comment and tried to blow it into a major controversy.
10 VERB If you blow a large amount of money, you spend it quickly on luxuries. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] My brother lent me some money and I went and blew the lot.
11 VERB If you blow a chance or attempt to do something, you make a mistake which wastes the chance or causes the attempt to fail. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] He has almost certainly blown his chance of touring India this winter. □ [V n] …the high-risk world of real estate, where one careless word could blow a whole deal. □ [V it ] Oh you fool! You've blown it!
12 → see also full-blown , overblown
13 to blow away the cobwebs → see cobweb
14 to blow someone's cover → see cover
15 to blow hot and cold → see hot
16 to blow a kiss → see kiss
17 to blow your top → see top
18 to blow the whistle → see whistle
▸ blow away PHRASAL VERB If you say that you are blown away by something, or if it blows you away , you mean that you are very impressed by it. [INFORMAL ] □ [be V -ed P ] I was blown away by the tone and the quality of the story. □ [V n P ] She just totally blew me away with her singing.
▸ blow out
1 PHRASAL VERB If you blow out a flame or a candle, you blow at it so that it stops burning. □ [V P n] I blew out the candle. [Also V n P ]
2 → see also blowout
▸ blow over PHRASAL VERB If something such as trouble or an argument blows over , it ends without any serious consequences. □ [V P ] Wait, and it'll all blow over.
▸ blow up
1 PHRASAL VERB If someone blows something up or if it blows up , it is destroyed by an explosion. □ [V P n] He was jailed for 45 years for trying to blow up a plane. □ [V P ] Their boat blew up as they slept. [Also V n P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you blow up something such as a balloon or a tyre, you fill it with air. □ [V P n] Other than blowing up a tyre I hadn't done any car maintenance. [Also V n P ]
3 PHRASAL VERB If a wind or a storm blows up , the weather becomes very windy or stormy. □ [V P ] A storm blew up over the mountains.
4 PHRASAL VERB If you blow up at someone, you lose your temper and shout at them. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P + at ] I'm sorry I blew up at you. □ [V P ] When Myra told Karp she'd expose his past, he blew up.
5 PHRASAL VERB If someone blows an incident up or if it blows up , it is made to seem more serious or important than it really is. □ [V P n] Newspapers blew up the story. □ [V n P ] The media may be blowing it up out of proportion. □ [V P prep/adv] The scandal blew up into a major political furore. [Also V P ]
6 PHRASAL VERB If a photographic image is blown up , a large copy is made of it. □ [be V -ed P ] The image is blown up on a large screen. □ [V -ed P ] …two blown up photos of Paddy. [Also V P n, V n P ]
7 → see also blow-up
➋ blow ◆◇◇ /bloʊ / (blows )
1 N‑COUNT If someone receives a blow , they are hit with a fist or weapon. □ [+ to/on ] He went off to hospital after a blow to the face.
2 N‑COUNT If something that happens is a blow to someone or something, it is very upsetting, disappointing, or damaging to them. □ [+ to ] That ruling comes as a blow to environmentalists. □ [+ to ] His death dealt a severe blow to the army's morale.
3 PHRASE If two people or groups come to blows , they start fighting. □ The representatives almost came to blows at a meeting. USAGE explode or blow up?
If someone destroys a building with a bomb, you say that they blow
it up
. Don’t say ‘
blo w-by-blo w ADJ [usu ADJ n] A blow-by-blow account of an event describes every stage of it in great detail. [INFORMAL ] □ She wanted a blow-by-blow account of what happened.
blo w-dry (blow-dries , blow-drying , blow-dried ) VERB If you blow-dry your hair, you dry it with a hairdryer, often to give it a particular style. □ [V n] I find it hard to blow-dry my hair. □ [V -ed] He has blow-dried blonde hair. ● N‑SING Blow-dry is also a noun. □ The price of a cut and blow-dry varies widely.
blow|er /bloʊ ə r / N‑SING The blower is the telephone. [BRIT , INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ]
blow|lamp /bloʊ læmp/ (blowlamps ) also blow lamp N‑COUNT A blowlamp is a device which produces a hot flame, and is used to heat metal or remove old paint. [BRIT ] in AM, use blowtorch
blown /bloʊ n/ Blown is the past participle of blow .
blow|out /bloʊ aʊt/ (blowouts ) also blow-out