blizzard

/ˈblɪzəd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈblɪzərd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbli-zərd/ (ame, mw)

blizzard — noun

  • blizzardsingular
  • blizzardsplural

1. A severe winter storm with heavy snow and strong winds that greatly reduce how f

1.名詞B1
釋義

A severe winter storm with heavy snow and strong winds that greatly reduce how far you can see, often making travel impossible.

例句

The Watanabe family stayed inside for three days while a blizzard swept through Hokkaido.

collocation: blizzard swept through [place]

Dr. Okafor's flight was cancelled because a blizzard had closed the airport in Minneapolis.

blizzard as agent: a blizzard closed the airport

同義詞
  • snowstorm

    Any storm with snowfall; does not require the strong winds that define a blizzard.

  • whiteout

    An optical condition of zero visibility in snowy terrain; may occur without falling snow.

  • tempest

    A violent windstorm that may include rain or snow; more literary and less specific.

文法句型

a blizzard sweeps through/hits/strikes [place]

be caught in a blizzard

用法筆記

Used only for snowstorms with strong, sustained winds — typically at least 35 mph (56 km/h) — and visibility below 400 metres. A heavy snowfall without strong winds is simply a snowstorm, not a blizzard.

常見錯誤

❌We stayed home during the blizzard of rain.
✅We stayed home during the heavy rainstorm.
💡A blizzard always involves snow, never rain.
❌It snowed heavily all day — what a blizzard!
✅It snowed heavily all day
💡what a snowstorm!' — Without strong winds, heavy snow alone does not make a blizzard.

2. A sudden and overwhelming flood of things — such as letters, emails, questions,

2.名詞B2
釋義

A sudden and overwhelming flood of things — such as letters, emails, questions, or problems — that arrives all at once and feels hard to deal with.

例句

The mayor faced a blizzard of questions from reporters after the council meeting.

pattern: a blizzard of [plural noun]

When Elena's charity appeal went viral, she received a blizzard of donations in one weekend.

同義詞
  • flood

    A large, sudden quantity; less vivid than blizzard and does not imply the same confusion or chaos.

  • deluge

    A very heavy downpour-like rush; more formal than blizzard and sometimes used literally for rain.

  • barrage

    A concentrated, often aggressive stream of something — especially questions or criticism; suggests hostility more than blizzard does.

  • avalanche

    An unstoppable, burying rush of things; similar to blizzard but suggests a downward, crushing movement.

文法句型

a blizzard of [plural noun]

face/receive a blizzard of [plural noun]

用法筆記

Always followed by 'of' and a plural noun. The sense emphasises both large numbers and a degree of chaos — use it when the sheer volume of things feels disorganised or hard to manage, not merely when there is a lot of something neatly arranged.

常見錯誤

❌I received a blizzard of two letters.
✅I received a flood of letters.
💡A blizzard implies an overwhelming number; using it for just two items sounds unnatural.