blizzard

1 of 2

noun

bliz·​zard ˈbli-zərd 

1

: a long severe snowstorm

2

: an intensely strong cold wind filled with fine snow

3

: an overwhelming rush or deluge

a blizzard of mail around the holidays

blizzardy

ˈbli-zər-dē 

adjective

or less commonly blizzardly

ˈbli-ˌzərd-lē 

blizzardy

2 of 2

adjective

bliz·​zardy ˈbli-zər-dē 

variants or less commonly blizzardly

ˈbli-zərd-lē 

: marked by blizzard

a blizzardy day

: tending to become or produce a blizzard

the wind picked up, the storm became blizzardy

Did you know?

The earliest recorded appearance of the word blizzard meaning “a severe snowstorm” was in the April 23, 1870 issue of a newspaper published in Estherville, Iowa. Blizzard shows up again during the following years in several newspapers in Iowa and neighboring states, and by 1888, when a snowstorm paralyzed the Eastern seaboard, the word was well-known nationally. However, in other senses, the word blizzard existed earlier. Davy Crockett, for instance, used it twice in the 1830s, once to mean a rifle blast and once to refer to a blast of words. All of these uses seem related, but the ultimate origin of the word is still unclear.

Examples of blizzard in a Sentence

Noun

We were snowed in by a raging blizzard.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The production planned to grab exterior footage outside Broadway’s Music Box Theatre — the film’s principal location — before a New York City blizzard intervened. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Trapped by a blizzard and cut off from the outside world, the guests must spend the night with a killer in their midst. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

The Carolinas were hit with blizzard conditions, with even Florida getting snow. — Mike Snider, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Last year, amid a blizzard of hirings and sackings at the upper level of the major houses, a group of top designers maintained a WhatsApp group chat dedicated to complaining about Sherman’s coverage of their fates. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1870, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for blizzard

• gizzard
• izard
• lizard
• wizard

Kids Definition

blizzard

noun

bliz·​zard ˈbliz-ərd 

1

: a long heavy snowstorm

2

: a very strong cold wind filled with fine snow

3

: an overwhelming rush or deluge

a blizzard of mail