blazed

Blazed is the past tense and past participle of blaze, a verb with several distinct senses in English. In its most literal sense, blazing means burning with a strong flame or producing bright light. A wildfire can blaze for days, and the sun can blaze down on a hot afternoon. The term can also describe a surface that burns or shines intensely, such as a torch that blazes or a sky that blazes with color.

In a second sense, blaze refers to marking or creating a trail. To blaze a trail is to establish a route through uncharted or minimally mapped terrain, often by placing visible markers on trees, rocks, or other surfaces. Past tense usage includes phrases like they blazed a trail through the forest or the trees were blazed with markers to guide hikers.

A third sense is figurative or directional: blaze can mean to move rapidly or to pass by with noticeable speed, as in the car blazed past the intersection.

Blazed also appears in slang. In informal speech, blazed means to be under the influence of marijuana or to be high. This usage is common in American English and tends to be seen in casual or conversational contexts rather than formal writing.

Etymology and related forms: The verb blaze derives from older Germanic roots and historical uses tied to fire and light. Over time, senses related to brightness, speed, and trail marking broadened the word’s range, contributing to the modern variety of meanings.

See also: blaze, blazing, trail blaze.