Meaning & use
blizzard
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A violent snowstorm with strong winds that blow the snow about and make it hard to see.
Grammar: A blizzard can be called a snowstorm, but it implies strong winds and poor visibility.
Patterns
- caught in a blizzard
- a blizzard hits somewhere
A blizzard closed the highway overnight.
We were stuck at the cabin for two days because of the blizzard.
Schools were shut as the blizzard moved across the state.
nounusually singularfigurative
A large, overwhelming amount of something that arrives all at once, such as emails, paperwork, or questions.
Grammar: Usually followed by of: a blizzard of emails.
Patterns
- a blizzard of something
She came back from vacation to a blizzard of emails.
The company faced a blizzard of complaints after the outage.
A blizzard of confetti fell over the crowd.
Word forms
| plural | blizzards |
|---|
Common combinations
- blizzard conditions
- Blizzard conditions are expected after midnight.
- blizzard warning
- A blizzard warning is in effect until noon.
- caught in a blizzard
- The hikers were caught in a blizzard near the summit.
- blizzard of paperwork
- Starting a business means a blizzard of paperwork.
- whiteout
- The blizzard created a whiteout on the road.
Synonyms and how they differ
- snowstorm
- Snowstorm is a general term for heavy snow, while blizzard requires strong wind and very poor visibility.
- whiteout
- A whiteout names the lack of visibility itself, not the whole storm.
- flurry
- A flurry is brief and light, far less severe than a blizzard.
- avalanche
- As an image for an overwhelming amount, avalanche suggests something heavier and falling suddenly.
Word family
Commonly confused: blizzard or flurry? blizzard or hailstorm?
blizzard vs flurry
Flurry is a short, light fall of snow; a blizzard is long, strong, and dangerous.
blizzard vs hailstorm
A hailstorm is made of hard ice pellets, not falling snow.
Practice
What does 'a blizzard of emails' mean?
Choose one answer.
Here blizzard figuratively means an overwhelming amount. It says nothing about the season, the length, or the tone of the emails.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “blizzard”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.