blizzard

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 

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

The talk among customers was last night’s blizzard. —Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025

This year, Dairy Queen is ushering a new fall blizzard: the Caramel Toffee Cookie Blizzard Treat. —Rachel Raposas, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025

Chicago’s 10 largest blizzards come with deep drifts of uniquely Chicago stories. —Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025

Prosecutors allege Read hit her boyfriend, John O'Keefe, with her car outside the home of fellow police officer Brian Albert in January 2022 and then left him to die there during a major blizzard. —Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 13 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

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