blows - Master This Word
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blows Word Meanings
- to create a current of air with a breath or movement
- to hit or strike forcefully
- a sudden hit or impact
blows Example Sentences
Example sentences are the start of understanding. Don't rush to memorize. First feel how the word works in a sentence.
blows Phonetic & Pronunciation
UK
//bloʊ/
US
//bloʊ/
blows Word Etymology
blow = blow (root) from Old English 'blawan', which relates to creating air currents. It passed through Germanic into modern English. Imagine a strong gust of wind blowing away leaves in autumn as a vivid reminder of how the word is used.
Note 1: These definitions and etymologies are not standard dictionary definitions, but extended explanations provided to help with memorization and understanding of the actual application of words. Through this background information, we strive to make words more vivid and easier to understand, and help you remember their meanings in real life.
Note 2: LexiTalk designs the learning flow around the linguistics principle of “Comprehensible Input.” When learners encounter material that is slightly above their level but still understandable from context, the brain naturally absorbs the language. That’s why we keep every word inside authentic contexts, using examples and associations to help you understand it and use it flexibly.
Read the FAQ explanation of Comprehensible InputEnglish Brain Route
You lift your head, cup your hands around your mouth, and push a quick breath toward the chill air. The air moves, and you follow the stream with a careful shift of your chest, adjust the shape of your lips, and keep the pace steady. When the breath breaks free, you feel a small change in the room—a puff that can cool steam or wake a bell, depending on how you turn and aim. The sensation becomes a cue for using blow in real moments: to cool, to push a whistle, to send a gust where you want.
Real Context
Blow is a versatile word that works as a verb and a noun, centered on air and impact. As a verb, it means to produce a current of air by exhaling or by movement, as in blow out a candle or wind blowing through a window; it can also mean to strike with force, as in a sudden gust that blows a branch loose. As a noun, a blow can be a hit or impact, or a strong gust of wind. English uses many phrasal verbs with blow, such as blow up, blow out, and blow off, and idioms like blow someone away to mean impress or astonish. Its Old English root blawan ties to air movement, shaping how learners picture wind and action.
Usage Reminders
- Use blow for air movement and for a hit or impact. Distinguish wind (gust) from a single strike. Remember common phrasal verbs: blow up, blow out, blow off. An idiom: blow someone away means to impress greatly. Do not confuse blow with blow up in all contexts; check meaning first.
Common Misconceptions
- Blow always means wind; it can also describe a hit or strike.
- Blow up means to explode, inflate, or become angry; use other senses by context.
- Blow out always means extinguish a flame; sometimes it means to empty or remove contents.
- Blow off always means skipping people or tasks; context matters for meaning.
- Blow away is only physical removal by wind; it also means impressing someone.
Thinking Differences
In English, blow centers on direct air movement and concrete impacts, plus many flexible phrasal verbs; learners often mix wind with a forceful action or misinterpret phrasal verbs like blow up.
Learning Tips
- Practice wind-related senses with weather reports
- Learn key phrasal verbs: blow up, blow out, blow off
- Remember the idiom blow someone away
- Differentiate blow (air) vs strike (hit)
- Use the noun blow for a hit as well as a gust
- Review etymology to remember wind association
Related Listening
🌱 Lite (Beginner)
🔥 Advanced
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