Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Covered with or characterized by blisters: Describing a surface or skin that has developed small, fluid-filled swellings, typically as a result of injury, friction, or a medical condition.
   • Extremely hot, intense, or caustic: Describing conditions (like weather or criticism) that are severe enough to cause or resemble the formation of blisters.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • After the hike, his feet were blistery and sore.
  • The blistery paint on the old car indicated years of sun damage.
  • They worked through the blistery afternoon heat.

Advanced Usage

• Descriptive of Conditions: Used metaphorically to describe non-physical intensity.
  • She faced a blistery critique from the panel. (Implies the criticism was harsh and stinging.)

Variants and Related Words

• Blister (n/v): A small bubble on the skin filled with serum; to form or cause to form blisters.
  • The new shoes gave me a blister.
• Blistered (adj): The past participle often used similarly to "blistery."
  • The blistered skin needed treatment.
• Blistering (adj): Very fast, intense, or severe. Often overlaps with the "intense heat" meaning of "blistery."
  • a blistering pace; blistering heat.

Synonyms

• Vesicular (medical/technical): Relating to or covered with vesicles or blisters.
• Scalding: Extremely hot.
• Caustic: Capable of burning or corroding; figuratively, severely critical.

Related Phrases

• To raise blisters: To cause blisters to form.
  • The chemical could raise blisters on contact.
• Blistering heat/sun: An intense, burning heat from the sun.
  • We sought shelter from the blistering sun.

Adjective

1. covered with small blisters
2. hot enough to raise (or as if to raise) blisters
   • blistering sun