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1. A photographic print that has been enlarged
   - enlargement, magnification, blow-up
    
2. A violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
   - explosion, detonation, blow-up
    
3. [informal] An unrestrained expression of emotion
   - effusion, gush, outburst, ebullition, blow-up [informal]

1. Designed to be filled with air or gas
   - inflatable

1. Destroy with an explosion
   "the old towers were blown up"
    
2. Burst and release energy as through a violent chemical or physical reaction
   "the bomb blew up at noon";
   - detonate, explode
    
3. Cause to burst with a violent release of energy
   "We blew up the nuclear bomb";
   - explode, detonate, set off
    
4. (photography) make appear larger; make a larger copy
   "blow up an image";
   - enlarge, magnify
    
5. Make appear better or greater (in power, wealth, quality, etc.) than reality
   - embroider, pad, lard, embellish, aggrandize, aggrandise [Brit], dramatize, dramatise [Brit]
    
6. Fill with gas or air
   "blow up a balloon";
   - inflate
    
7. To swell or cause to enlarge
   "Her faced blew up from the drugs";
   - puff, puff up, puff out
    
8. Exaggerate or make bigger
   - inflate, expand, amplify
    
9. [informal] Get very angry and fly into a rage
   "The professor blew up when the student didn't know the answer to a very elementary question";
   - flip one's lid [N. Amer, informal], throw a fit [informal], hit the roof [informal], hit the ceiling [informal], have a fit [informal], blow one's stack [N. Amer, informal], fly off the handle [informal], flip one's wig [US, informal], lose one's temper, blow a fuse [informal], go ballistic [informal], go mental [informal], blow a gasket [informal], blow one's top [informal], go off the deep end [informal], go ape [informal]

Derived forms: blown up, blowups, blew up, blows up, blow-ups, blowing up

See also: expansive

Type of: amplify, change integrity, discharge, dismantle, exaggerate, expand, exposure, expression, flatten, hyperbolise [Brit], hyperbolize, increase, intumesce, level, magnify, manifestation, overdraw, overstate, photo, photograph, pic [informal], piccy [informal], picture, puff, pull down, rage, rase, raze, reflection, reflexion [Brit], swell, swell up, take down, tear down, tumefy, tumesce

Antonym: deflate

Encyclopedia: Blowup