blown
C1Neutral to Informal
Definition
Meaning
Past participle of the verb 'blow', primarily referring to the action of air or wind moving something, or to something being damaged or destroyed by an explosion or burst.
Often used as an adjective to describe something that has been inflated, formed, or moved by air (e.g., glass). Metaphorically, it can describe an emotionally or psychologically overwhelmed state, or a situation that has been revealed or failed.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As the past participle of 'blow', its meaning depends heavily on the phrasal verb or context. It moves from literal (air movement) to resultative (damaged, revealed, inflated). The adjectival use ('blown glass', 'blown mind') is particularly important.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. 'Blown' in 'blown fuse' is standard in both. 'Blown' for a flat tyre is more common in American English (AmE: 'I've got a blown tire', BrE: 'I've got a flat tyre').
Connotations
Identical. The slang 'mind is blown' is equally common in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in AmE for automotive contexts ('blown engine', 'blown gasket').
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[be] blown + ADVERBIAL/PARTICLE (e.g., The roof was blown off)[have] blown + OBJECT (e.g., He has blown the budget)[be] blown + ADJECTIVE (e.g., He was blown away by the news)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “blown away (impressed)”
- “blown out of proportion (exaggerated)”
- “blown your cover (revealed)”
- “blown a gasket (lost temper)”
- “blown your chance”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'The project's budget has been completely blown.'
Academic
'The hypothesis was blown apart by the new data.'
Everyday
'My mind was blown by that film's ending.'
Technical
'The transformer failed due to a blown fuse.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The old papers had been blown across the garden.
- His cover was completely blown by the newspaper article.
- I think I've blown a fuse in the plug.
American English
- The storm had blown the shutters off the house.
- He's blown his chance at a promotion.
- We blew the tyre on a pothole.
adverb
British English
- N/A - 'blown' is not standardly used as an adverb.
American English
- N/A - 'blown' is not standardly used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- She collects beautiful blown glass ornaments.
- After the interview, I felt completely blown.
- It's a blown opportunity, I'm afraid.
American English
- He's a master of blown glass techniques.
- The detectives found the suspect's cover was blown.
- We're dealing with a blown engine, not just a tune-up.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The leaves were blown off the trees.
- The candles were blown out.
- The bridge was blown up in the war.
- I was blown away by the beautiful view.
- The whistleblower's identity was blown by the media.
- The intricate design is made from hand-blown glass.
- The company's clandestine operations were blown wide open by the leak.
- His emotionally blown delivery of the monologue left the audience speechless.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a dandelion clock: the seeds are 'blown' away by the wind. The past action (blow -> blew) and the resulting state (blown) are both in the word.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTIONAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT IS PHYSICAL FORCE/DESTRUCTION (e.g., 'blown away'). REVELATION IS AN EXPLOSION (e.g., 'cover is blown').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'grown' (выросший). 'Blown fuse' is не 'сгоревший предохранитель' (burnt), but 'перегоревший предохранитель'. 'Blown away' is not merely 'унесенный ветром', but often 'пораженный, потрясенный'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'blown' as the simple past (incorrect: 'He blown the whistle'; correct: 'He blew the whistle').
- Confusing 'blown' (past participle) with 'blown' (adjective) in structure, e.g., 'It is a blown glass' vs. 'It is blown glass' (the latter is correct as a compound adjective).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'blown' used as an adjective?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is also used independently as an adjective, as in 'blown glass', 'blown fuse', or 'blown mind', describing the state resulting from the action of blowing.
'Blew' is the simple past tense (He blew the whistle). 'Blown' is the past participle, used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses or the passive voice (He has blown the whistle, The whistle was blown).
Not in standard English. It might be confused with informal, regional uses of 'blown' meaning out of breath, but this is non-standard. The primary meanings relate to air/explosion or a state of being overwhelmed.
In the compound adjective 'blown glass', 'blown' describes the method of formation (by blowing air). It functions like 'baked potato' or 'fried egg'. The noun 'glass' is not pluralised here because it refers to the material/technique, not individual items.