blizzard
/bli.zaʁ/masculine
The French word for "blizzard" is blizzard.
The word refers to a severe snowstorm.
Meaning: severe snowstorm (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec French, speakers often use the phrase tempête de neige to describe a blizzard or a snowstorm.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/bli.zaʁ/
Did you know?
- The English word 'blizzard' was actually adopted into French, making it a linguistic 'loanword' rather than a native French term.
- The French language has no single word for 'snowdrift', often relying on phrases like amas de neige to describe the piles a blizzard leaves behind.
- In Quebec, the term tempête de neige is so dominant that blizzard can sometimes sound like an Anglicism or an overly literary choice.
Examples in context
- Ils furent pris dans le blizzard.They were caught in a blizzard.This sentence is useful for showing how someone can be caught in a blizzard.Tatoeba #2217853 by sacredceltic, translation #2214066 by Hybrid
- Il nous a été très difficile de rentrer au camp de base avec le blizzard.We found it very hard going back to our base camp in the blizzard.This sentence is useful for describing the difficulty of traveling during a blizzard.Tatoeba #139038 by hortusdei, translation #22875 by CK
- La région nord du pays est actuellement sous l'emprise d'un blizzard intense avec de fortes chutes de neige et des vents violents.The northern region of the country is currently experiencing an intense blizzard with heavy snowfall and strong winds.
- Le blizzard a bloqué toutes les routes.The blizzard blocked all the roads.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are looking out the window at the weather.
- ManonRegarde, c'est un vrai blizzard dehors !Look, it's a real blizzard outside!
- HugoOn ne voit plus rien du tout.We can't see anything at all anymore.
- ManonLe blizzard va durer toute la nuit.The blizzard will last all night.
- HugoOn fera attention en sortant demain.We will be careful when going out tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blizzard” translations and entries blizzard, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries blizzard, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
