noun
Uncommon
blizzard
BLIHZ-uhd
Blizzard (noun) means a severe snowstorm with strong winds and very poor visibility. Example: “The blizzard shut down the airport for two days.”
noun
1
A severe snowstorm with strong winds and very poor visibility.
"The blizzard shut down the airport for two days."
"Whiteout conditions from the blizzard stranded dozens of drivers."
2
An overwhelming quantity of something arriving at once.
"She was hit with a blizzard of paperwork on her first day."
How to use blizzard
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA violent snowstorm with heavy wind, or figuratively an overwhelming flood of something (paperwork, emails, etc.).
Easily confused with
Common pairings
blizzard conditions
a blizzard of paperwork
caught in a blizzard
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Word forms
- Plural
- blizzards
- Third person singular
- blizzards
- Past tense
- blizzarded
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ shut down the airport for two days.
Etymology
Origin uncertain — the word entered American English describing severe snowstorms in the 1870s, with earlier, unrelated regional uses meaning a blow or blast.
Class of 1870
blizzard joined the language around 1870.
See the full Class of 1870 →
Related words
Rhymes for blizzard
See all rhymes for blizzard →Frequently asked questions
What does “blizzard” mean?
The word “blizzard” means a severe snowstorm with strong winds and very poor visibility. In plain terms, a violent snowstorm with heavy wind, or figuratively an overwhelming flood of something (paperwork, emails, etc.).
How do you pronounce “blizzard”?
“Blizzard” is pronounced BLIHZ-uhd (/ˈblɪz.ɚd/ in IPA).
How do you use “blizzard” in a sentence?
Here is “blizzard” used in a sentence: “The blizzard shut down the airport for two days.”
What part of speech is “blizzard”?
“Blizzard” is a noun.
Where does the word “blizzard” come from?
The word “blizzard” dates back to around 1870. Origin uncertain — the word entered American English describing severe snowstorms in the 1870s, with earlier, unrelated regional uses meaning a blow or blast.
Is “blizzard” a common word?
“Blizzard” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “blizzard” have?
“Blizzard” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a severe snowstorm with strong winds and very poor visibility.
What is the difference between a "blizzard" and a regular "snowstorm"?
A blizzard is a specific, severe type of snowstorm defined by strong winds and very poor visibility, whereas "snowstorm" is a general term for any storm producing snowfall, mild or severe. Not every snowstorm qualifies as a blizzard, but every blizzard is a snowstorm.
What does it mean to say "a blizzard of emails" or "a blizzard of paperwork"?
This figurative use of "blizzard" describes an overwhelming quantity of something arriving all at once, borrowing the sense of a snowstorm's intensity to describe being inundated. It is common in everyday speech to describe feeling swamped by a large volume of anything.
Does "blizzard" always involve snow?
The literal sense always involves a severe snowstorm with strong wind and poor visibility, but the figurative sense of an overwhelming quantity can apply to anything arriving in large amounts, such as complaints, messages, or requests, with no snow involved at all.
