blistering

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a noun

   Describes heat or sunshine so strong that it feels as if it could burn your skin.

   Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: a blistering afternoon, not 'the afternoon was blistering' (though that is possible).

   Patterns

   • blistering heat
   • blistering sun

   We walked across the blistering sand with our shoes in our hands.

   The blistering midday sun forced everyone to look for shade.

   A blistering heat wave settled over the city for ten days.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nounfigurative

   Extremely fast, forceful or energetic, especially in sport or performance.

   Grammar: Used before nouns such as pace, start, shot or speed.

   Patterns

   • a blistering pace
   • a blistering start

   The runner set a blistering pace from the first lap.

   She hit a blistering shot into the top corner of the net.

   The band opened with a blistering guitar solo.

3. 3adjectivebefore a nounfigurative

   Very harsh and severe when criticizing someone or something.

   Grammar: Often paired with attack, criticism or review.

   Patterns

   • a blistering attack
   • blistering criticism

   The senator delivered a blistering attack on the new budget.

   The film received a blistering review from almost every critic.

   He wrote a blistering letter to the company demanding a refund.

Common combinations

blistering heat

Workers stopped at noon because of the blistering heat.

blistering pace

The team kept up a blistering pace through the whole match.

blistering attack

The coach launched a blistering attack on the referee's decisions.

blistering sun

They sheltered from the blistering sun under a canvas awning.

blistering speed

The car accelerated with blistering speed on the straight.

Synonyms and how they differ

scorching

Scorching is the closest match for extreme heat, but it is less often used for speed or criticism than blistering.

scathing

Scathing fits only the critical sense and suggests cutting, contemptuous words, whereas blistering can also describe speed or heat.

searing

Searing suggests an intense, almost painful quality, and is common for pain, heat and emotion, while blistering sounds more energetic when applied to pace.

rapid

Rapid only means fast and is neutral, while blistering adds a sense of dramatic, almost shocking speed.

Opposites

Word family

blister noun

a small bubble of fluid on the skin, often caused by rubbing or burning

blister verb

to form blisters, or to cause them

blistered adjective

covered in blisters or bubbles, as skin or paint

blisteringly adverb

extremely, used before hot or fast

Commonly confused: blistering or bristling?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “blistering”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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