blow away

blow away

1. Of the wind, to blow someone or something away from its current location. Our trashcans were blown away in that bad storm, and we finally found them down the street in our neighbor's yard. I was almost blown away on my walk to the library because it's so windy out!
2. To thoroughly impress, overwhelm, or excite someone. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "blow" and "away." The show of support from everyone just blew me away. I was blown away by how good that movie was!
3. slang To kill someone, especially with gunfire or an explosive device. Ray blew away the informant, just as the boss told him to.
4. To defeat an opponent easily and/or by a wide margin. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can used between "blow" and "away." The final score was 17-1? Wow, we really blew that team away! I have a feeling the top-ranked team is just going to blow away any opponent they face.
See also: away, blow

blown away

1. Thoroughly impressed, overwhelmed, or excited by something. I am blown away by the show of support from everyone. I was blown away by how good that movie was!
2. Intoxicated, either by drugs or alcohol. Do you remember last night at the bar at all? You were really blown away!
3. Killed by gunfire. Two guys were blown away in your building tonight, and you don't know anything about it?
See also: away, blown
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

blow someone or something away

[for the wind] to carry someone or something away. The wind almost blew her away. It nearly blew away all the houses.
See also: away, blow

blow someone away

 
1. Sl. [for something shocking or exciting] to overwhelm a person; to excite a person very much. The amount of the check blew me away. The loud noise from the concert blew me away.
2. Sl. to murder someone, usually by gunfire. Mr. Big ordered Lefty to blow Max away. Max tried to blow Lefty away.
See also: away, blow

blow away

[for something light] to be carried away by the wind. The leaves blew away on the autumn winds. My papers blew away!
See also: away, blow
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

blow away

1. Kill, especially by gunshot or explosion. For example, The unit reported that the whole village was blown away. This usage became particularly widespread in the 1960s, during the Vietnam War. [Slang; early 1990s]
2. Overcome easily; defeat decisively. For example, Ann said the test would be easy; she would just blow it away, or Jim was sure his crew could blow away their opponents. [Slang; 1960s] Also see blow off, def. 5.
3. Impress greatly, overwhelm with surprise, delight, or shock, as in That music really blew me away. [Slang; c. 1970] Also see blow one's mind.
See also: away, blow
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

blow someone away

1 kill, destroy, or defeat someone. 2 have a very strong effect on someone. informal
2 1998 Times It blows me away the way she [a 13-year-old] is already moving through her life.
See also: away, blow, someone
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

blow away

v.
1. To be carried or pushed away by the force of moving air: I left the newspaper on the table and it blew away.
2. To carry or push something away by the force of moving air: The wind blows the fallen leaves away. The storm blew away all the laundry from the clothesline.
3. Slang To affect someone intensely in mind or emotion: Your wonderful new poems really blow me away. Their amazing performance blew away every member of the audience.
4. Slang To kill someone, especially with a firearm: The gang entered their rival's hideout, ready to blow away everyone. The thieves threatened to blow me away if I didn't tell them where I hid the money.
5. Slang To defeat someone or something decisively: The confident chess player blew away every challenger. The visiting soccer team was much better than our team and easily blew us away.
See also: away, blow
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.

blow someone away

1. tv. to kill someone; to shoot someone. (Underworld.) The boss said we was to blow you away if you gives us any trouble.
2. tv. to overwhelm someone; to amaze someone. The whole idea just blew her away.
See also: away, blow, someone

blowed (away)

mod. alcohol or drug intoxicated. (see also blown away.) I was so blowed away I couldn’t see straight.
See also: away, blowed

blown away

1. mod. dead; killed. (Underworld.) Four of the mob were already blown away when the cops got there.
2. and blown mod. alcohol or drug intoxicated. Whatever that pill was, Cecilia is totally blown away. She’s blown and alone and making a groan.
3. mod. overwhelmed; greatly impressed. (Often with with or by.) We were just blown away by your good words.
See also: away, blown
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

blow away

Kill; also, surprise, impress, overwhelm. The first usage dates from the Vietnam War but it is the second, from the 1970s, that is more current today. The CBS television show This Morning had it on March 20, 1990: “We were just talking about how blown away we were by [violinist] Joshua Bell.” It is on its way to becoming a cliché. See also blow one's mind.
See also: away, blow
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • blow someone away
  • blowed away
  • blown away
  • be blown away
  • be blown away by something
  • drag (someone or something) away from (something)
  • draw away
  • draw away from (someone or something)
  • drag away
  • drag (someone or something) away
References in periodicals archive
of America's well-known "blow away" icon is being featured on new packaging for the company's entire line of audio cassettes.
George MacDonald's classic The Light Princess (1933322683, $25.00) comes to life under the voices of Cynthia Bishop and the Full Cast narrators: a newborn princess faces a curse and is apt to blow away. Can a prince bring her down to earth?
Before opening the fuel cap, blow away all the accumulated sand first.
"He hit so hard, I saw God" goes one of many key phrases with multiple meanings both brutal and philosophical: Even when she's flaunting psychic damage, this loose-cannon laureate can blow away most of rock's royalty through the force of her language.
Hildemann of Stanford University "They've got this ring of mountains that tends to hold air, and the way their prevailing winds work, pollution takes a long time to blow away."
Make sure you brush or blow away any dirt and sand before opening the fuel cap.
Unlike Bell and Clarke's last album, 1995's ambient-inspired Erasure, Cowboy is a nonstop explosion of short, snappy, and instantly memorable pop ditties, most of them uptempo and ripe for those inevitable girly-twirly hi-NRG club mixes that nearly always blow away Erasure's original models.