What does "blister" mean?
A small bubble between the layers of the skin that contains watery or bloody fluid and is caused by friction and pressure, burning, freezing, chemical irritation, disease, or infection.
Blister
/ˈblɪstɚ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A small bubble between the layers of the skin that contains watery or bloody fluid and is caused by friction and pressure, burning, freezing, chemical irritation, disease, or infection.
- Grammar: blister is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: bleb, bulla, vesicate, abscess.
- Useful contrasts: callus, commend, dry.
- Usage evidence: My sunburn has started to blister.
How to use "blister"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "blister" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- 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 "blister" 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 "blister" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "blister" 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 "blister" is acting as noun, verb 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 "bleb" 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 "blister", 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 A small bubble between the layers of the skin that contains watery or bloody fluid and is caused by friction and pressure, burning, freezing, chemical irritation, disease, or infection. countable, uncountable
"Inspect them for rub marks and blisters; tape or bandage rub marks; clean the skin around a blister, use a sterilised needle to puncture it at its outer edge and press out the fluid, then bandage."
- 2 (pathology) an elevation of the skin filled with serous fluid wordnet
- 3 A swelling on a plant. countable, uncountable
- 4 (botany) a swelling on a plant similar to that on the skin wordnet
- 5 Something applied to the skin to raise a blister; a vesicatory or other applied medicine. countable, uncountable
"'T is written in the Hebrew Chronicle, / How the physicians, leaving pill and potion, / Prescribed, by way of blister, a young belle, / When old King David's blood grew dull in motion, / And that the medicine answered very well […]"
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a flaw on a surface resulting when an applied substance does not adhere (as an air bubble in a coat of paint) wordnet
- 7 A bubble, as on a painted surface. countable, uncountable
- 8 An enclosed pocket of air, which may be mixed with water or solvent vapor, trapped between impermeable layers of felt or between the membrane and substrate. countable, uncountable
- 9 A type of pre-formed packaging made from plastic that contains cavities. countable, uncountable
"blister card"
- 10 A cause of annoyance. countable, uncountable
"I couldn't help thinking how dashed happy I could have contrived to be in this place if only Aunt Agatha and the other blisters had been elsewhere."
- 11 A form of smelted copper with a blistered surface. uncountable
Verb
- 1 To raise blisters on. transitive
"a chemical agent that blisters the skin"
- 2 get blistered wordnet
- 3 To sear after blaching. transitive
- 4 cause blisters to form on wordnet
- 5 To have a blister form. intransitive
"A poorly formulated mortar mixture will result in plaster that blisters and cracks."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 subject to harsh criticism wordnet
- 7 To criticise severely. transitive
- 8 To break out in blisters. intransitive
Example
"My sunburn has started to blister."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "blister"?
Common synonyms include: bleb, bulla, vesicate, abscess, aeroplane, air bubble.
How do you use "blister" in a sentence?
My sunburn has started to blister.
How do you pronounce "blister"?
Pronounced /ˈblɪstɚ/.
Etymology
From Middle English blister, from Old French blestre, from a Germanic source. Compare Middle Dutch blyster (“swelling”), Old Norse blastr (“a blowing”).