blow off

verb

1. to permit (a gas under pressure, esp steam) to be released

2. slang,  (intr) to emit wind noisily from the anus

3. informal,  (tr) to reject or jilt (someone)

4. See steam

noun

1. a discharge of a surplus fluid, such as steam, under pressure

2. a device through which such a discharge is made

Idioms and Phrases

Vent one's strong feelings; see blow off steam .

Disregard, ignore; evade something important. For example, If you blow off your homework, you're bound to run into trouble on the exam . [ Slang ; second half of 1900s]

Overcome, defeat easily, as in With Rob pitching, we'll have no trouble blowing off the opposing team . [ Slang ; 1950s] Also see blow away , def. 2.

Ignore, abandon, refuse to take part. For example, The college is blowing off our request for a new student center . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]

Example Sentences

Our music correspondent Mark Savage said the performance "blew off the cobwebs and swept away the doubters" in his review of the night.

From BBC

Oasis blew off the cobwebs and swept away the doubters as they kicked off their reunion tour in Cardiff.

From BBC

“For 40 years, Iran has been saying death to America, death to Israel. They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs, with roadside bombs. That was their specialty.”

From Los Angeles Times

Though Santi likes to hit, perhaps just to blow off steam, he has become alienated from the game and resistant to advice — for reasons we will learn, besides the usual teenage anomie.

From Los Angeles Times

That prompted a radical change of approach that led to the Kazakh taking a trip to Las Vegas that month to blow off some steam.

From BBC

Related Words

• break 
• cease 
• close 
• drop 
• end 
• halt 
• hold 
• kill 
• pause 
• put an end to 
• quit 
• stall 
• stand 
• stay