bomb
bomb — noun
1. an explosive weapon that is dropped, thrown, or hidden so it blows up and causes
an explosive weapon that is dropped, thrown, or hidden so it blows up and causes death, injury, or major damage.
Airport staff found a small bomb under the empty delivery van.
bomb under + vehicle
The museum closed after police reported a bomb near the front gate.
bomb near + public place
News of the bomb sent office workers out into the street.
During the war, one bomb destroyed the bridge across the river.
- bomb blast
- bomb threat
- plant a bomb
- defuse a bomb
- explosive device
broader and more technical; not always a military weapon
- explosive
very broad; can mean the substance rather than the weapon
- warhead
the explosive part attached to a missile or similar weapon
Grammar Patterns
a bomb explodes
plant a bomb
bomb under/in + place
Usage Note
Often used in news with words like threat, scare, blast, and disposal. Unlike senses 2-6, this is the literal explosive object.
Common Mistakes
2. something, especially a film, show, plan, or product, that fails very badly and
something, especially a film, show, plan, or product, that fails very badly and disappoints people.
The new comedy was a bomb, and half the seats stayed empty.
be a bomb = fail badly
Investors said the product launch was a bomb after weak sales.
Our school talent show became a bomb when the sound failed.
By Monday, everyone knew the cafe's new menu was a bomb after Sunday lunch service.
- box-office bomb
- critical bomb
- be a bomb
Grammar Patterns
be a bomb
Usage Note
Usually follows be and often describes films, plays, products, or events. Distinguish from sense 3, which is about money rather than failure.
Common Mistakes
3. a very large amount of money, especially more than people expect to pay or spend
a very large amount of money, especially more than people expect to pay or spend.
The repairs cost a bomb after the storm damaged the roof.
cost a bomb
Tickets for the final match were a bomb, so we stayed home.
Renting even a tiny shop on that busy street takes a bomb now.
Leila spent a bomb on textbooks during her first term.
spend a bomb
- cost a bomb
- spend a bomb
- pay a bomb
- fortune
common way to say something is very expensive
- small fortune
slightly humorous phrase for a surprisingly high price
- pile
informal; focuses on a large sum, not always on cost
Grammar Patterns
cost a bomb
spend a bomb
pay a bomb
Usage Note
Most common after cost, spend, or pay. Common in British informal English. Distinguish from sense 2, where a bomb is an unsuccessful thing.
Common Mistakes
4. a kick sent almost straight up so players can run under it and try to catch it w
a kick sent almost straight up so players can run under it and try to catch it when it drops.
Noa kicked a bomb, and the wings chased the dropping ball.
rugby: kick a bomb
From midfield, Tariq sent up a bomb for his teammates.
The full-back waited under the bomb but dropped it on landing.
In the wet second half, both teams kept kicking bombs for chasers.
- kick a bomb
- field a bomb
- high kick
plain descriptive term
- up-and-under
more technical rugby term
Grammar Patterns
kick a bomb
drop a bomb
Usage Note
Used mainly in rugby and similar games. The ball goes high into the air rather than being passed flat across the field.
Common Mistakes
5. a hit in baseball that allows the batter to go around all the bases and score.
a hit in baseball that allows the batter to go around all the bases and score.
Diego hit a bomb over the left-field wall in the eighth.
baseball: hit a bomb
The crowd rose when Hana smashed a bomb over center field.
One bomb to right field tied the game and woke the stadium.
Fans replayed the rookie's first bomb over the scoreboard all night.
- hit a bomb
- solo bomb
- two-run bomb
Grammar Patterns
hit a bomb
Usage Note
Mainly heard in baseball commentary and fan talk. It is more informal and more vivid than the standard term home run.
Common Mistakes
6. a very long forward pass thrown high and deep down the field in American footbal
a very long forward pass thrown high and deep down the field in American football.
The quarterback's bomb landed just beyond the defender's hands.
American football: throw a bomb
Late in the game, Omar threw a bomb to the corner.
One clean bomb to the sideline put the Tigers inside the ten-yard line.
Fans gasped when the receiver caught the bomb in stride.
- throw a bomb
- catch a bomb
Grammar Patterns
throw a bomb
Usage Note
Used in American football talk for a pass thrown deep downfield. It refers to a throw, not to a kick.
Common Mistakes
be the bomb
idiomSomething that is excellent or the best of its kind.
Maya said the new pizza place is the bomb.
Have you tried this chocolate cake? It's the bomb!
To be very successful or well-received by an audience.
The comedian's jokes went down a bomb with the crowd.
Did the new product go down a bomb at the launch?
go like a bomb
idiomTo move or operate very quickly.
Diego's new sports car goes like a bomb on the highway.
The old motorcycle still goes like a bomb after the repair.
bomb — verb
1. to attack a place by dropping explosive weapons on it.
to attack a place by dropping explosive weapons on it.
Enemy planes bombed the port before sunrise on Monday.
bomb + place
The air force bombed the empty warehouse district at night.
During the war, several towns were bombed again and again.
passive: be bombed
Rebels threatened to bomb the bridge if talks failed.
- bomb a city
- bomb a bridge
- heavily bombed
- bomb from the air
Grammar Patterns
bomb + place
be bombed
Usage Note
Object is usually a town, port, road, bridge, or other place. Frequently passive when the place under attack is the topic.
Common Mistakes
2. to destroy a building or other structure by making a bomb explode in it or besid
to destroy a building or other structure by making a bomb explode in it or beside it.
Someone bombed the empty office block before the cleaners arrived.
bomb + building
The bridge was bombed and closed for six months.
passive result after blast
Police said the corner shop had been bombed after the owner locked up.
The old cinema was bombed, leaving broken glass across the street.
- bomb a building
- bomb a station
- be bombed overnight
Grammar Patterns
bomb + building/structure
be bombed
Usage Note
Focus stays on the structure that is blown apart. Distinguish from sense 1, which describes attacking a place from the air over a wider area.
Common Mistakes
3. to move very quickly in a car or other vehicle.
to move very quickly in a car or other vehicle.
Zane bombed down the hill on his old motorbike.
bomb + down
The bus bombed past the market without stopping for passengers.
bomb + past
We bombed along the coast road with the windows open.
bomb + along
After midnight, trucks bombed through the tunnel toward the port.
- bomb down the road
- bomb past someone
- bomb through traffic
Grammar Patterns
bomb + along/down/past/through
Usage Note
Usually followed by along, down, past, or through. Common with cars, buses, bikes, and trucks rather than with people on foot.
Common Mistakes
4. to fail very badly, especially in a public performance, test, campaign, or event
to fail very badly, especially in a public performance, test, campaign, or event.
Aiko's joke bombed, and the room went quiet at once.
bomb = fail in front of people
The new ad campaign bombed with teenage buyers at the mall launch.
bomb + with audience
Our team bombed in the quiz after missing the first round.
bomb + in + event
At the street festival, three food stalls bombed and closed before lunch.
- bomb in a test
- bomb with viewers
- bomb at the box office
- succeed
to achieve the wanted result
- go over well
to be well received by an audience
Grammar Patterns
bomb (intransitive)
bomb + in/at/with
Usage Note
Common with jokes, performances, ads, exams, and public events. Often followed by in, at, or with to show where or with whom the failure happened.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
Bomb, bombard, shell, strike, and attack can all describe military action, but they are not interchangeable. Bomb is the clearest word when explosive devices are dropped on a place or used to hit a target: 'Planes bombed the port.' Bombard often suggests repeated heavy attack, and it can also be figurative, as in 'Reporters bombarded her with questions.' Shell is narrower and refers to firing artillery from the ground or sea, not dropping bombs from above. Strike is common in news reports for a planned military hit and sounds more official. Attack is the broad everyday umbrella word and does not tell you which weapons were used. Remember: planes bomb a city, guns shell a city, and people simply attack it.
Etymology
Bomb entered English in the late 17th century through French 'bombe', from Italian 'bomba'. Those forms go back to Latin 'bombus' and Greek 'bombos', words for a deep booming or buzzing sound. That history matches the word well: the earliest idea behind bomb was the loud noise of an explosion, and later the word settled on the explosive weapon itself. From the literal weapon sense, English later developed figurative uses for failure, large expense, and fast movement.