Blow Off
verbBase blow off · Past blew off · Past Participle blown off · Present Participle blowing off · 3rd person blows off
Definition
1. (verb) To cancel plans or ignore someone by simply not showing up or not responding — treating them as unimportant.
2. (verb) To dismiss or not take something seriously — choosing to ignore a responsibility, warning, or task.
3. (verb) To release or let out pressure, frustration, or energy — usually in an active or noisy way.
2. (verb) To dismiss or not take something seriously — choosing to ignore a responsibility, warning, or task.
3. (verb) To release or let out pressure, frustration, or energy — usually in an active or noisy way.
Context Alive
You made plans with your friend to grab coffee after work — you even left the office early to get there on time. You sit at the café for twenty minutes, text her twice, and get nothing back. An hour later she replies with "oh sorry, I completely forgot." She didn't cancel, didn't warn you, just blew you off. You're not angry exactly, but you're sitting there with a cold latte thinking you could've gone to the gym instead.
Meanings
3 meanings 1 To Cancel on Someone or Ignore Them (Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about ditching someone — not showing up, not replying, or cancelling without much care. Imagine you invite a colleague to lunch and they say sure, but when the time comes they just stay at their desk and don't even mention it — they blew you off. This is about treating a person or a commitment as not worth your time. You might say "she blew me off again" when a friend keeps cancelling or disappearing on you, or someone could say "he totally blew off the meeting" about a person who didn't bother showing up to something important. Or think about texting someone you're dating and they just stop replying for days — they're blowing you off without having the honesty to say it. The word suggests disrespect or carelessness toward the other person.
✏️ Blow someone off is very American and informal. In British English you'd more often hear "stood me up" (for dates) or "bailed on me" (for plans). It carries real emotional weight — being blown off feels worse than a normal cancellation because there's no explanation or apology.
2 To Dismiss or Not Take Seriously (Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about ignoring something that probably matters — a warning, a responsibility, or advice — because you don't think it's important or you just can't be bothered. Imagine your doctor tells you to cut down on sugar and you nod politely but go straight home and eat a slice of cake — you blew off the advice completely. This is about choosing not to care. You might say "I blew off my homework and played video games instead" about choosing fun over responsibility, or someone could say "don't blow off the deadline" as a warning to take a due date seriously. Or picture a student who blows off every warning about attendance and then acts surprised when they fail the module. The word suggests a deliberate or careless decision to ignore something.
✏️ This meaning is especially common among younger speakers — "blow off class," "blow off studying," "blow off the assignment." It's casual and slightly rebellious in tone. You wouldn't use it in a formal setting — you wouldn't tell your boss you "blew off" a report.
3 To Release Pressure or Energy (Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about letting out built-up tension, frustration, or energy — often in a physical or loud way. Imagine you've had the most stressful week at work and on Friday evening you go to the gym and absolutely destroy a punching bag for an hour — you're blowing off steam. This is about finding an outlet for pressure that's been building up inside. You might say "I need to blow off some steam" when you're frustrated and need to do something active to calm down, or someone could say "the kids need to blow off energy" about children who've been sitting in a car for hours and need to run around. Or think about someone going for a long, fast drive with the windows down after a terrible argument — they're blowing off the anger. The word suggests a release that brings relief.
✏️ Blow off steam is by far the most common phrase for this meaning — it comes from steam engines that would literally release pressure to avoid exploding. You'll hear it constantly: "Let's go for a run, I need to blow off steam." The full phrase is almost always used rather than just "blow off" on its own for this meaning.
Common Patterns
Basic Structures
blow someone off → to ignore, ditch, or cancel on a person
She blew me off three times this month — I'm done making plans with her.
blow off + noun (event/task) → to skip or ignore a responsibility or commitment
He blew off the entire afternoon meeting without even telling anyone.
blow off steam / energy → to release built-up frustration or excess energy
After the exam I just needed to blow off steam — I went straight to the football pitch.
Common Structures
get blown off → to be on the receiving end — someone cancelled on you or ignored you
I got blown off again — she didn't even bother texting me back.
just blow it off → casual advice to ignore something or not worry about it
If they're being rude, just blow it off — it's not worth your energy.
blow off + noun (advice / warning) → to dismiss guidance or a warning as unimportant
She blew off the safety warning and nearly got hurt.
Collocations
10 collocationsblow off steam
to release frustration or tension through activity
blow someone off
to ditch or ignore a person
blow off class
to skip a lesson without a good reason
blow off work
to skip work or not take it seriously
blow off a meeting
to not show up to a scheduled meeting
blow off homework
to ignore or skip schoolwork
blow off a deadline
to miss a due date without caring
blow off advice
to dismiss guidance or recommendations
blow off energy
to burn off excess physical energy, usually through activity
totally blow off
to completely ignore something with zero effort
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
She blew me off for the third time — I'm starting to think she just doesn't want to hang out.
She ditched me again for the third time — it's becoming obvious she's not interested in spending time together.
2
He blew off his morning classes and spent the whole day in bed watching Netflix.
He skipped his morning lectures and stayed under the covers streaming shows all day.
3
I really need to blow off some steam after this week — fancy going for a run?
I need to release all this tension from this week — do you want to go running?
4
Don't blow off the safety briefing — it's there for a reason.
Don't ignore the safety talk — it actually matters.
5
We made plans for Saturday but she just blew the whole thing off without saying a word.
We had Saturday sorted but she cancelled everything without giving any explanation.
6
The kids have been inside all day — they need to go outside and blow off some energy.
The children have been cooped up since morning — they need to get out and burn off some restlessness.
7
He blew off his doctor's advice and kept eating junk food every night.
He ignored what his doctor told him and continued stuffing himself with fast food every evening.
8
I got completely blown off at the interview — the manager barely looked at my CV.
I was totally dismissed during the interview — the hiring manager hardly glanced at my application.
9
She decided to blow off the deadline and deal with the consequences later.
She chose to ignore the due date and face whatever came next.
10
After a stressful day, he likes to blow off steam by playing drums in his garage.
When work gets to him, he releases the tension by drumming in his garage.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsditch
very informal — specifically about abandoning plans or a person at the last minute
skip
more neutral — simply not attending something, without the rudeness of blowing it off
dismiss
more formal — to reject or brush aside an idea, suggestion, or concern
Antonymshonour
to follow through on a commitment or promise — the opposite of ditching it
prioritise
to treat something as important and give it proper attention
show up
to actually be there when expected — the simplest opposite of blowing someone off