blizzard

noun bliz·zard \ ˈbli-zərd \

Definition of blizzard

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

play \ˈbli-zər-dē\ or less commonly blizzardly play \-ˌzərd-lē\ adjective

See blizzard defined for English-language learners

See blizzard defined for kids

Examples of blizzard in a Sentence

We were snowed in by a raging blizzard.

Recent Examples of blizzard from the Web

In a work that calls for considerable bravura, the pianist easily tackled blizzards of runs and bombastic octaves.

— janelle gelfand, Cincinnati.com, "Chamber Orchestra's celestial concert is out of this world," 15 Aug. 2017
Some might argue that America is better off without Trump creating a blizzard of damaging legislation, but this misses the point.

— henry porter, The Hive, "Donald Trump, Theresa May, and the End of Government as We Know It," 14 Aug. 2017
Cameras on light poles can make clear during a blizzard what streets most need plowing.

— scott canon, kansascity, "KC smart-city efforts could save sewers, smooth traffic, fix potholes before they pop," 22 July 2017
The coming morning would bring a blizzard and deep cold.

— marc wortman, Smithsonian, "A Newly Discovered Diary Tells the Harrowing Story of the Deadly Halifax Explosion," 15 July 2017
In 2003, Crayola bid goodbye to blizzard blue, magic mint, mulberry and teal -- though amid a hue and cry, fans were able to rescue burnt sienna.

— melissa gray, CNN, "Crayola opens colorful contest for new crayon shade," 1 July 2017
Rum runners Otto and Louie Linken were smuggling booze into Alaska during a blizzard when Louie stepped off his dogsled into some water.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Famous Shriveled Toe Stolen From a Yukon Bar," 23 June 2017
The snowstorms raised white hills more than three feet high, and the weather forecast reported at least three more weeks of blizzards, mud, and ice slicks.

— Longreads, "A Portrait of the Artist as an Undocumented Immigrant," 21 June 2017
The screen had suddenly gone dark and now was filling with what looked like a blizzard, snow blowing sideways in a high wind, or maybe some sort of hail.

— elisabeth egan, chicagotribune.com, "Algren Award runner-up: "William and Sarah" by Elizabeth Collison," 10 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blizzard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 Crocket, for instance, used it twice in the 1830s, once to mean a rifle blast and once to mean for a blast of words. All of these uses seem related, but the ultimate origin of the word is still unclear.