blizzard

noun

bliz·​zard ˈbli-zərd How to pronounce blizzard (audio)
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 adjective
or less commonly blizzardly

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 mean for 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

We were snowed in by a raging blizzard.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The family of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, killed on Jan. 29, 2022 during a blizzard, is still searching for justice this week, days after jurors cleared his ex-girlfriend Karen Read of homicide charges. Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2025 One defense expert suggested that O’Keefe’s injuries were caused by a dog, backing up the defense’s theory that O’Keefe was beaten inside the home of a fellow cop, attacked by his dog and discarded outside during a blizzard. Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 19 June 2025 Prosecutors alleged Read hit her boyfriend, John O'Keefe, with her car outside the Canton home of fellow police officer Brian Albert after a night of heavy drinking in January 2022 and then left him to die there during a major blizzard. Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 18 June 2025 The live action was filmed on a clear day, and so blizzard conditions and smoke, as well as the horde of infected, also needed to be composited into the shot. Carolyn Giardina, Variety, 1 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for blizzard

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blizzard was in 1870

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blizzard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blizzard. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

blizzard

noun
bliz·​zard ˈbliz-ərd How to pronounce blizzard (audio)
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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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