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.
By then, prosecutors allege O'Keefe had been mortally injured by the rear end of Read's Lexus SUV and left for dead as a blizzard picked up strength. Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2025 However, prosecutors allege that a drunk and angry Read knowingly slammed her SUV into her boyfriend -- Boston police officer John O'Keefe -- outside of a get-together at another officer's home and left him to die in a blizzard in January 2022. Jon Haworth, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2025 But his party colleagues, looking ahead to the midterms, will get more uneasy if the blizzard of controversies continues. Niall Stanage, The Hill, 22 Apr. 2025 Prosecutors allege, following a night of drinking in Canton, that Read struck O'Keefe with her Lexus SUV outside of a get-together at another officer's home and left him to die in a blizzard in January 2022. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 30 Apr. 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 23 May. 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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