blow
blow — verb
1. to push air out from your mouth, or to make something travel because moving air
to push air out from your mouth, or to make something travel because moving air carries it.
Aiko blew on the soup before the baby took a spoonful.
blow on + object
The strong wind blew sand across the road near the beach.
wind blows + object + across
A paper map blew out of Ravi's hand at the station.
Warm air from the dryer blew Hana's hair across her face.
文法句型
blow on + object
wind blows
blow + object + adverb/preposition
object blows + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
Covers both breath from a person and movement caused by wind. When an object changes position, a result phrase such as 'away', 'out', or 'across' is very common.
常見錯誤
2. to make a whistle, horn, or similar instrument give a sound by using your breath
to make a whistle, horn, or similar instrument give a sound by using your breath.
The referee blew the whistle when two players fell near goal.
blow the whistle
At sunrise, Yuri blew his trumpet outside the city hall.
blow + wind instrument
From the harbor, a horn blew three times before the ferry left.
During practice, the band leader blew a long note too early.
文法句型
blow a whistle
blow a horn
blow a trumpet
horn/whistle blows
用法筆記
Object is usually a whistle, horn, trumpet, or another wind instrument. Distinguish from sense 1, where the focus is simply on air moving rather than on the sound produced.
常見錯誤
3. to shape hot soft glass or a similar material by sending air into it.
to shape hot soft glass or a similar material by sending air into it.
At the workshop, Mei blew a small glass bird for the shop window.
blow + finished glass object
The artist blew the hot glass into a round bowl.
blow + material + into + shape
By noon, the team had blown three bottles for the museum show.
In class, the teacher showed how to blow a clear glass bead.
文法句型
blow glass
blow a bottle
blow + material + into + shape
blow + object
用法筆記
Mostly used for glassmaking. The object can be the material ('blow the glass into a bowl') or the finished thing ('blow a bottle').
常見錯誤
4. to blow strongly through your nose so that it is no longer blocked.
to blow strongly through your nose so that it is no longer blocked.
Before the photo, Noa blew her nose with a clean tissue.
blow your nose
The child stopped crying after blowing his nose in the kitchen.
During the train ride, an old man blew his nose twice.
Please blow your nose before the doctor checks your throat.
- clear your nose
broader and less fixed than the usual idiom
- unblock your nose
focuses on the result rather than the action itself
文法句型
blow your nose
blow his/her nose
用法筆記
Usually appears in the fixed pattern 'blow your nose', often with a tissue or handkerchief. English normally states the nose directly rather than only the mucus.
常見錯誤
5. to touch your hand with your lips and then gesture the kiss toward someone.
to touch your hand with your lips and then gesture the kiss toward someone.
From the stage, Leila blew a kiss to her grandparents.
blow a kiss to + someone
The actress smiled and blew kisses after the final song.
plural form: blow kisses
At the airport gate, little Bao blew his mother a kiss.
Before the call ended, Ines blew a kiss toward the camera.
- send a kiss
more direct and less tied to the hand gesture
- wave a kiss
less common; emphasizes the visual gesture
文法句型
blow a kiss to + someone
blow someone a kiss
blow kisses
用法筆記
Most often appears with the noun 'kiss': 'blow a kiss', 'blow someone a kiss', or 'blow kisses'. It is more about a visible gesture than about real contact.
常見錯誤
6. to ruin something completely by an explosion, sudden force, or a serious failure
to ruin something completely by an explosion, sudden force, or a serious failure.
The blast blew the kitchen windows off the old house.
blow + object + off
A power surge blew our old TV during the storm.
damage from sudden failure
The mine blew the bridge before the soldiers arrived.
One firework blew a hole through the garden fence.
文法句型
blow + object
blow + object + off
blow a hole in/through + object
用法筆記
Often used when something ends up unusable after sudden damage. Distinguish from sense 1, where air only moves something, and from later verb sense 9, which is more specifically about blasting something apart with an explosion.
常見錯誤
7. for a fuse to melt because too much electricity passes through it, or to make th
for a fuse to melt because too much electricity passes through it, or to make this happen to a fuse.
During the storm, the kitchen fuse blew and the fridge went quiet.
intransitive: fuse blew
The old heater blew a fuse when Omar plugged it in.
transitive: blow a fuse
After the lights flashed twice, another fuse blew upstairs.
Too many fans on one socket can blow the fuse.
- work
describes the circuit continuing to operate normally
文法句型
fuse blows
blow a fuse
用法筆記
With the intransitive pattern, the fuse is the subject. In the transitive pattern, the subject is the machine or action that causes the overload.
常見錯誤
8. for a tyre or another air-filled rubber thing to split suddenly and lose its air
for a tyre or another air-filled rubber thing to split suddenly and lose its air.
Our front tyre blew on the highway near Tainan.
intransitive: tyre blew
The bike tyre blew after it rolled over a sharp nail.
sudden damage from the road
Halfway to school, Mei's rear tyre blew with a loud pop.
The bus stopped suddenly because one tyre had blown.
- hold air
describes the tyre staying usable without leaking
文法句型
tyre blows
用法筆記
Usually used with tyres, tubes, or similar rubber parts filled with air. In American English, 'blow out' is often more common for this idea.
常見錯誤
9. to use an explosion to force something open or damage it very badly.
to use an explosion to force something open or damage it very badly.
Soldiers blew the bridge apart before the tanks arrived.
blow + object + apart
The thieves tried to blow the safe open at night.
blow + object + open
A small bomb blew the shop windows out across the street.
Engineers blew the old tower up after the area closed.
- blast open
especially stresses forcing an entrance open
- demolish
can describe destruction without saying how it happened
- shatter
focuses on breaking into pieces rather than explosive force itself
- repair
describes making the damaged thing usable again
文法句型
blow + object + apart
blow + object + open
blow + object + up
用法筆記
Often followed by a result word such as 'open', 'apart', or 'up'. Distinguish this from verb/6, where the focus is general destruction rather than damage caused specifically by an explosion.
常見錯誤
10. to throw money away on something expensive or unnecessary.
to throw money away on something expensive or unnecessary.
Ravi blew half his pay on a gold watch.
blow + amount + on + thing
We blew too much money on snacks at the stadium.
blow + money + on + thing
After her bonus arrived, Ines blew it on three new bags.
The band blew thousands on a hotel they barely used.
Instead of saving for rent, Yusuf blew his cash on games.
- waste
more neutral and can be used for money, time, or effort
- squander
more formal and strongly suggests foolish loss
- splash out on
informal and often suggests buying something expensive as a treat
- fritter away
suggests losing money little by little
文法句型
blow + money + on + something
blow + amount + on + something
用法筆記
Usually followed by an amount, 'money', or 'cash', then 'on' and the thing bought. It suggests waste, unlike neutral 'spend'.
常見錯誤
blow — noun
1. one strong strike made with a fist, a foot, or something used to hit another per
one strong strike made with a fist, a foot, or something used to hit another person or thing.
Ravi took a blow to the shoulder during the rugby match.
pattern: a blow to + body part
The thief knocked him down with a blow from a metal bar.
pattern: a blow from + weapon
One blow from the hammer cracked the stone tile.
The boxer stepped back after a blow caught his chin.
- caress
a gentle touch rather than a violent hit
文法句型
a blow to + [body part]
a blow from + [weapon/object]
用法筆記
Often follows verbs like 'take', 'deal', 'land', and 'suffer'. The injured person or body part is commonly named with 'to'.
常見錯誤
2. a sudden trouble or piece of bad news that weakens someone's hopes, health, or p
a sudden trouble or piece of bad news that weakens someone's hopes, health, or plans.
Losing the court case was a blow to the family business.
pattern: a blow to + person/thing
The storm dealt a heavy blow to local farmers in April.
collocation: deal a heavy blow to
Her father's illness came as a blow just before final exams.
The captain missing the final was another blow for the team.
- boost
something that helps confidence, progress, or success
文法句型
a blow to + [person/thing]
deal a blow to + [plan/group]
用法筆記
Very common with abstract objects such as confidence, trade, hopes, reputation, and recovery. Distinguish from sense 1, which is a physical hit.
常見錯誤
3. one push of air sent out through the mouth or nose.
one push of air sent out through the mouth or nose.
Priya gave the fire a gentle blow, and the flames grew.
pattern: give + object + a blow
One hard blow sent the dust off the old photo frame.
A quick blow cooled the hot tea enough to drink.
The nurse asked Leo for one long blow into the tube.
- puff
more common in everyday speech for a small push of air
- breath
broader; may mean the air inside the lungs, not the outward action
- exhalation
formal scientific word
- breath in
the opposite movement of air
文法句型
give + [something] + a blow
one long blow
用法筆記
Usually singular when talking about one breath or one push of air. Often appears with verbs like 'give' and adjectives such as 'gentle', 'hard', or 'long'.
4. a short walk outside, taken mainly to get fresh air and feel better.
a short walk outside, taken mainly to get fresh air and feel better.
After lunch, Ines went for a blow along the seafront.
pattern: go for a blow
During the tea break, the nurses had a blow in the yard.
Let's have a blow round the block before dinner.
After three hours indoors, the children went for a blow round the yard.
文法句型
go for a blow
have a blow
用法筆記
Chiefly British and informal. Most often used after 'go for' or 'have', and it suggests a brief walk rather than exercise or a long trip.
5. marijuana, especially when named in informal talk about illegal drugs.
marijuana, especially when named in informal talk about illegal drugs.
Police found blow and rolling papers in the top drawer.
slang noun for cannabis
A sweet smell filled the room, and Tara knew someone was smoking blow.
collocation: smoke blow
The report said two boys were caught selling blow near the station.
Officers discovered blow in his jacket pocket after the concert.
用法筆記
Rare slang and easy to confuse with sense 6. Scenes with smoking, rolling papers, or a strong plant smell point to this sense, not the cocaine sense.
常見錯誤
6. cocaine, especially when named in informal talk about illegal drugs.
cocaine, especially when named in informal talk about illegal drugs.
Club security found blow hidden inside a folded banknote.
slang noun for cocaine
The actor was accused of buying blow at a hotel party.
collocation: buy blow
Detectives tested the white powder and confirmed it was blow.
Ravi lost his job after coworkers found blow in his desk drawer.
用法筆記
More likely than sense 5 in scenes involving white powder, folded notes, or buying and selling at clubs. Distinguish from sense 5, which points to cannabis in smoking contexts.