blast
/blɑːst
/noun
1A destructive wave of highly compressed air spreading outwards from an explosion: they were thrown backwards by the blast...
- The plane shuddered with shock waves from the blast.
- The shock wave from the blast kills the majority of fish species on the reef and causes severe damage to its structure.
- The blast caused a shock wave across the town, smashing windows and shaking houses.
Synonyms
shock wave, pressure wave, bang, crash, crack
1.1An explosion or explosive firing: a bomb blast a shotgun blast...
- He swung the gun around, firing two sharp blasts at the other man.
- The shotgun blast was followed by a sharp percussive explosion as the entire hillside lit up in a white phosphorescent glare.
- The first man arrested by the police in connection with the latest bomb blasts turned out to have no connection with the suicide bombers.
Synonyms
explosion, detonation, discharge, burst, eruption
1.2A forceful attack or assault: United’s four-goal blast
2A strong gust of wind or air: the icy blast hit them...
- When I stepped out of the car, I was hit with a blast of icy wind.
- The wind delivered consistent blasts in between gusts and gales.
- For once the weather bureau got it right and the predicted cold front arrived last night with a blast of icy wind.
Synonyms
gust, rush, blow, gale, squall, storm, wind, draught, waft, puff, flurry, breeze
2.1A strong current of air used in smelting.
3A single loud note of a horn, whistle, or similar: a blast of the ship’s siren...
- The phrases noted above are like blasts from an air horn or plastic trumpet, blaring technical correctness.
- He was awakened in the morning by a loud blast from an oxen horn.
- I was about to sob and lament to myself when I heard the loud blast of a horn.
Synonyms
blare, blaring, honk, bellow, boom, roar, screech, wail
4 informal A severe reprimand: I braced myself for the inevitable blast...
- She gives the leftie columnist a big blast for the dishonesty of his criticisms.
- So it is no mystery why my blast at the historian did not get the attention his did.
- Another blast of criticism was aimed at the good lady wife of the rock musician.
Synonyms
reprimand, rebuke, reproof, admonishment, admonition, reproach, reproval, scolding, remonstration, upbraiding, castigation, lambasting, lecture, criticism, censure
informal telling-off, rap, rap over the knuckles, slap on the wrist, flea in one's ear, dressing-down, earful, roasting, tongue-lashing, bawling-out, caning, blowing-up
British informal ticking off, carpeting, wigging, rollicking, rocket, row
Australian/New Zealand informal serve
British vulgar slang bollocking
dated rating
5North American informal An enjoyable experience or lively party: it could turn out to be a real blast...
- I can't wait to party and have a blast at your restaurant!
- The party had been a blast, but the cleaning up was no fun.
- I went there last night for the first time - what a blast!
verb [with object]
1Blow up or break apart (something solid) with explosives: the school was blasted by an explosion...
- Every piece of the hard rock had to be blasted out before being broken up with pick and shovel.
- Trees were broken and cracked open, and buildings had been blasted apart as if by dynamite.
- A van filled with homemade explosives blasts the federal building in the city.
Synonyms
blow up, bomb, blow (to pieces), dynamite, explode;
break up, demolish, raze to the ground, destroy, ruin, shatter
1.1Produce (damage) by means of an explosion: the force of the collision blasted out a tremendous crater...
- Troops found the church with large holes blasted out of its cement walls and its tin roof collapsed.
- A large hole has been blasted into the mountain, where cement, stones and steel bars pile high, destroying the greenland.
- Some of the dazed survivors, seeing a hole had been blasted in the wall, ran for it.
1.2 [with object and adverbial of direction] Force or throw (something) in a specified direction by impact or explosion: the car was blasted thirty feet into the sky...
- A huge black blur struck the ground where he'd been standing scant instants ago, and a shower of dirt was blasted upwards from the impact.
- The impact blasted watermelons and oranges and tomatoes all over the sidewalk.
- It blasts them three feet a second, in a soaring arc that carries them as far as two feet away.
1.3Shoot with a gun: Fowler was blasted with an air rifle...
- Both of the metal slabs on his hips unfolded into their gun modes and began blasting away the enemy units two at a time.
- The more unusual ways of scattering ashes include packing them into fireworks which are then fired into the sky and putting ashes in shotgun cartridges to be blasted away.
- Helicopter gunships blasted the town last week.
Synonyms
fire (away), shoot (away), blaze (away), let fly;
discharge
shoot (down), gun down, mow down, cut down, put a bullet in, pick off, bag, fell, kill
informal pot, pump full of lead, plug, zap, let someone have it
North American informal smoke
literary slay
1.4 [no object, with adverbial of direction] Move very quickly and loudly in a specified direction: four low-flying jets blasted down the glen...
- Sitting in the carpark, watching the sheets of rain blasting across the tarmac, there really wasn't much else to do but go home.
- Bits of silver metal blasted in every direction.
- Rain came blasting down from the once-clear-of-clouds cloudy sky onto her face, trickling down her cheeks.
2Produce or cause to produce loud continuous music or other noise: [no object]: music blasted out at full volume [with object]: an impatient motorist blasted his horn...
- I went straight into my room and started to sleep, only to be awoken by loud pop music blasting in my ears.
- The noise once again began blasting louder and louder.
- Whenever someone is out, the loudspeaker blasts out a 10 second clip of some corny but apt popular music tune.
Synonyms
honk, sound loudly, trumpet, blare, boom, roar
blare, boom, roar, thunder, bellow, pump, shriek, screech
3Kick or strike (a ball) hard: the striker blasted the free kick into the net...
- From the subsequent free kick, he blasted the ball just wide.
- Then, four minutes from time, the striker blasted the ball against the bar with an empty net in front of him.
- He made no mistake with the free kick, blasting the ball into the top left hand corner of the net.
4 informal Criticize fiercely: the school was blasted by government inspectors...
- She has blasted the senator's criticism of the war by reminding viewers that he voted for the war.
- Critics blasted him for pouring taxpayer funds into badly managed banks and unneeded infrastructure projects.
- It was also a colossal failure, shunned by audiences and blasted by critics as ‘pretentious.’
Synonyms
reprimand, rebuke, criticize, upbraid, berate, castigate, reprove, rail at, flay
5 literary (Of a wind or other natural force) wither, shrivel, or blight (a plant): corn blasted before it be grown up
Synonyms
blight, kill, destroy, wither, shrivel
5.1Strike with divine anger (used to express annoyance or dislike): damn and blast this awful place!...
- Tom won the descent blast him!
5.2Destroy or ruin: your reputation is blasted already in the village...
- As for Glasgow, they've already blasted Munster off the park in the Celtic League.
- He has not yet had his trial but his life has already been blasted into disarray.
- It's not as if the candidate's crew hadn't already tried to blast his opponent to smithereens.
Synonyms
destroy, crush, dash, blight, wreck, ruin, spoil, mar, annihilate, disappoint, frustrate
exclamation informal, chiefly British
Expressing annoyance: ‘Blast! The car won’t start!’
Phrases
a blast from the past
(at) full blast
Phrasal verbs
blast off
Origin
Old English blǣst, of Germanic origin; related to blaze3.