blow away: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Informal (for 'impress/defeat' and 'kill' meanings). Neutral for literal wind meaning.
Quick answer
What does “blow away” mean?
to be carried or moved by the force of wind or air.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
to be carried or moved by the force of wind or air; to defeat or impress someone completely.
To kill or destroy by explosion or gunfire (informal). To cause something to be removed or dispersed by wind. To overwhelm someone with strong emotion or surprise.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use all meanings. The 'kill/destroy' sense is more strongly associated with American action movie/gangster slang.
Connotations
In the 'impress' sense, it is enthusiastic, informal praise. In the 'kill' sense, it is violent, casual, and potentially offensive.
Frequency
The 'impress/amaze' sense is very frequent in informal AmE and common in BrE. The literal sense is equally common in both.
Grammar
How to Use “blow away” in a Sentence
[subject] blow away [object][subject] blow [object] awaybe blown away by [object]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “blow away” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The gale nearly blew the roof away.
- Her solo performance completely blew the judges away.
American English
- The tornado could blow away whole buildings.
- That movie just blew me away; I've never seen anything like it.
adjective
British English
- He gave a blow-away performance at the Glastonbury Festival.
American English
- The finale was a real blow-away moment.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
'Their new product launch completely blew away the market's expectations.'
Academic
Rare in formal writing. Possible in informal speech: 'The study's findings just blew me away.'
Everyday
'The view from the top blew me away!' 'The storm nearly blew our fence away.'
Technical
Meteorology/Engineering: 'Winds can blow away topsoil, causing erosion.'
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “blow away”
- *'I was blown away from the news.' (Correct: 'by the news')
- *'The wind blew away.' (Needs an object: 'blew the papers away').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While often positive (to be impressed), it can be neutral (literal wind action) or negative (to kill). Context is crucial.
The literal meaning is acceptable. The figurative meanings ('impress', 'kill') are informal and best avoided in formal academic or business reports.
'Blow away' focuses on removal/dispersal or overwhelming impression. 'Blow off' means to detach by wind, or informally, to ignore/cancel on someone ('blow off a meeting').
Common for the 'impress' meaning: 'I was blown away by...' / 'We were blown away...'. Also possible for literal sense: 'The shed was blown away in the storm.'
to be carried or moved by the force of wind or air.
Blow away: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbləʊ əˈweɪ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbloʊ əˈweɪ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “be blown away (by something)”
- “blow the competition away”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a strong wind BLOWing your hat AWAY. Now imagine a performance so good it feels like a mental wind has BLOWN your mind AWAY.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTIONAL/SENSORY IMPACT IS PHYSICAL FORCE (e.g., 'I was blown away by the news').
Practice
Quiz
In which context does 'blow away' NOT fit naturally?