Blast

/blɑːst/ intj, name, noun, verb, slang

intj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: A violent gust of wind (in windy weather) or apparent wind (around a moving vehicle).
  • Grammar: blast is listed as intj, name, noun, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: bang, gust, accurse, aim at.
  • Useful contrasts: calm, calm air, commend.
  • Usage evidence: You have to blast your way out.

How to use "blast"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "blast" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "blast" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "blast" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "blast" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "blast" is acting as intj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "bang" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "blast", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A violent gust of wind (in windy weather) or apparent wind (around a moving vehicle). countable, uncountable

    "And see where surly Winter passes off, / Far to the north, and calls his ruffian blasts; / His blasts obey, and quit the howling hill."

  2. 2
    An immature or undifferentiated cell (e.g., lymphoblast, myeloblast).
  3. 3
    a very long fly ball wordnet
  4. 4
    A forcible stream of gas or liquid from an orifice, for example from a bellows, the tuyeres of a blast furnace, a person's mouth, etc. countable, uncountable
  5. 5
    intense adverse criticism wordnet
Show 17 more definitions
  1. 6
    A hit of a recreational drug from a pipe. countable, uncountable
  2. 7
    a highly pleasurable or exciting experience wordnet
  3. 8
    The continuous blowing to which one charge of ore or metal is subjected in a furnace. countable, uncountable

    "Many tons of iron were melted at a blast."

  4. 9
    a sudden very loud noise wordnet
  5. 10
    The exhaust steam from an engine, driving a column of air out of a boiler chimney, and thus creating an intense draught through the fire; also, any draught produced by the blast. countable, uncountable
  6. 11
    an explosion (as of dynamite) wordnet
  7. 12
    An explosion, especially for the purpose of destroying a mass of rock, etc. countable, uncountable

    "arc blast"

  8. 13
    a strong current of air wordnet
  9. 14
    A verbal attack or punishment; a severe criticism or reprimand. countable, uncountable

    "My manager gave me a blast yesterday for coming in late."

  10. 15
    An explosive charge for blasting. countable, uncountable

    "1852-1854, Charles Tomlinson, Cyclopaedia of Useful Arts Large blasts are often used."

  11. 16
    A loud, sudden sound. countable

    "One blast upon his bugle horn / Were worth a thousand men."

  12. 17
    Unwanted noise from a microphone. uncountable

    "[…] the microphone has been unostentatiously working out its own destiny here and abroad, mainly in America. Evolution seems to be most promising (in the elimination of "microphone blast" and background noises — common faults of the earlier types) in the direction of the electrostatic, or condenser, microphone, […]"

  13. 18
    A sudden pernicious effect, as if by a noxious wind, especially on animals and plants; a blight. countable, uncountable

    "By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed."

  14. 19
    A good time; an enjoyable moment. countable, figuratively, informal, uncountable

    "We had a blast at the party last night."

  15. 20
    A promotional message sent to an entire mailing list. countable, uncountable

    "an e-mail blast; a fax blast"

  16. 21
    A flatulent disease of sheep. countable, uncountable
  17. 22
    A period of full dosage of PEDs as opposed to a period of reduced intake. countable, slang, uncountable

    "blast and cruise"

Verb
  1. 1
    To make an impression on, by making a loud blast or din. transitive

    "Trumpeters, / With brazen din blast you the city's ear."

  2. 2
    To run a nucleotide sequence (for nucleic acids) or an amino acid sequence (for proteins) through a BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool). informal, transitive

    "Blasting nucleotide sequences is not always that easy, because there is more ambiguity to the nucleotide sequence, and good hits have to have a 70% homology over the whole sequence to be reliable, compared to 25% with proteins."

  3. 3
    Alternative letter-case form of blast (to run a sequence through BLAST) alt-of, informal, transitive

    "This program is also capable of BLASTing sequencing results and works with most automated sequencing formats, alleviating the need for conversion of PC-based files."

  4. 4
    shrivel or wither or mature imperfectly wordnet
  5. 5
    To make a loud noise. intransitive
Show 22 more definitions
  1. 6
    shatter as if by explosion wordnet
  2. 7
    To play (music) very loudly out of a speaker. informal, transitive

    "Some kid is in his car blasting rap. You know, bass in the trunk and you can hear it 4 blocks away? I signal over to him and say "Hey, turn it up, I can't hear it." He turns around and says, "Shut Up Grandpa.""

  3. 8
    criticize harshly or violently wordnet
  4. 9
    To shatter, as if by an explosion. transitive
  5. 10
    fire a shot; release wordnet
  6. 11
    To open up a hole in, usually by means of a sudden and imprecise method (such as an explosion). transitive

    "Blast right through it."

  7. 12
    use explosives on wordnet
  8. 13
    To curse; to damn. transitive

    "Blast it! Foiled again."

  9. 14
    hit with great force wordnet
  10. 15
    To shoot, especially with an energy weapon (as opposed to one which fires projectiles). transitive

    "Chewbacca blasted the Stormtroopers with his laser rifle."

  11. 16
    make with or as if with an explosion wordnet
  12. 17
    To shoot; kick the ball in hope of scoring a goal.

    "A Ricketts and Stuart Holden one-two around the box then created a decent chance for an almost instant equaliser - but Welsh full-back Ricketts blasted over when a calmer finish could have been rewarded."

  13. 18
    create by using explosives wordnet
  14. 19
    To shoot; to attack or shoot (someone or a place). intransitive, slang, transitive

    "They showed up blasting."

  15. 20
    apply a draft or strong wind to to wordnet
  16. 21
    To criticize or reprimand severely; to verbally discipline or punish. transitive

    "My manager suddenly blasted me yesterday for being a little late to work for five days in a row, because I was never getting myself up on time."

  17. 22
    make a strident sound wordnet
  18. 23
    To bring destruction or ruin on; to destroy. transitive

    "Oh Portius, is there not some choſen Curſe, Some hidden Thunder in the Stores of Heav’n, Red with uncommon Wrath, to blaſt the Man Who owes his Greatneſs to his Country’s Ruin?"

  19. 24
    To blight or wither. transitive

    "A cold wind blasted the rose plants."

  20. 25
    To be blighted or withered. intransitive, obsolete

    "The bud blasted in the blossom."

  21. 26
    To blow, for example on a trumpet. intransitive, obsolete
  22. 27
    To have a period of full dosage of PEDs as opposed to reducing them during a cruise period. slang

    "blast and cruise"

Intj
  1. 1
    Used to show anger or disappointment: damn British, informal

    "Now, where's my Labour membership card, so I can consider whether to tear it up? Blast, it's plastic..."

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    An algorithm which compares similarities between sequences of nucleotides in nucleic acids or of amino acids in proteins.

Synonyms

All synonyms
banggustaccurseaim atanathematizeat full blast

Antonyms

calmcalm aircommendcomposure

Example

"You have to blast your way out."

Common questions

What does "blast" mean?

A violent gust of wind (in windy weather) or apparent wind (around a moving vehicle).

What is a synonym for "blast"?

Common synonyms include: bang, gust, accurse, aim at, anathematize, at full blast.

How do you use "blast" in a sentence?

You have to blast your way out.

How do you pronounce "blast"?

Pronounced /blɑːst/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English blast, blest, from Old English blǣst (“blowing, blast”), from Proto-West Germanic *blāstu, from Proto-Germanic *blēstuz (“blowing, blast”). Cognate with West Frisian blast (“blast”), dialectal Dutch blast (“stubborn intent, drumming”), obsolete German Blast (“wind, blowing”), German blasen (“to blow”), Dutch blazen (“to blow”), Danish blæst (“wind”), French blaser (“to blunt, dull”). More at blow.

Etymology 2

From Middle English blasten, blesten, from Old English blǣstan (“to blow, blast”), from Proto-West Germanic *blēstijan, from Proto-Germanic *blēstijaną. Possibly related to Middle High German blesten (“to stand out, plop, splash”).

Etymology 3

From Ancient Greek βλαστός (blastós, “germ or sprout”).

Etymology 4

From BLAST (an acronym for Basic Local Alignment Search Tool).

Etymology 5

An acronym of Basic Local Alignment Search Tool.

More for "blast"

Synonyms

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