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Synonyms

blow-dry

American  
[bloh-drahy] / ˈbloʊˌdraɪ /

verb (used with object)

blow-dried, blow-drying

  1. to dry or style (shampooed or wet hair) with a blow-dryer or blow-comb.

noun

plural

blow-drys

  1. an act or instance of blow-drying.

    a wash, cut, and blow-dry.
blow-dry British  

verb

  1. to style (hair) while drying it with a hand-held hairdryer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. this method of styling the hair

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of blow-dry

First recorded in 1965–70; back formation from blow-dryer

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Social media has spurred an increase in retailers dedicated to making Americans look good in photos, from blow-dry hair salons to waxing chains.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

On her return to the daytime TV show, Garraway joked that she was "looking forward to a blow-dry".

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2024

Counting the cost of pandemic dogs — starting with the goldendoodle’s monthly $250 wash, blow-dry and nail trim.

From New York Times • May 17, 2023

“Make sure that you know how to blow-dry hair really well,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2022

When you step out on a mat, heaters come on that blow-dry your body.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.