bombshell

bombshell — noun

1. an announcement or event that shocks people because nobody expected it, especial

1.nounC1
Definition

an announcement or event that shocks people because nobody expected it, especially when it brings trouble or upset.

Example

The mayor dropped a bombshell by quitting two days before the vote.

drop a bombshell

At dinner, Priya's news about moving abroad hit her parents like a bombshell.

hit someone like a bombshell

Common collocations
  • drop a bombshell
  • political bombshell
  • legal bombshell
  • bombshell announcement
  • bombshell report
Synonyms
  • shocker

    informal and very close, but slightly broader

  • surprise

    much weaker and not usually negative

  • revelation

    focuses on information becoming known, with less emotional force

  • stunner

    can mean something amazing, often with a more positive tone

Grammar Patterns

drop a bombshell

come as a bombshell

hit someone like a bombshell

Usage Note

Usually singular and common with verbs like drop, come as, and hit like. Distinguish this sense from noun/2: this one is about shocking news or events, not an attractive person.

Common Mistakes

The weather report was a bombshell because it said rain tomorrow.
The mayor's secret wedding was a bombshell for local voters.
Use 'bombshell' for news that strongly shocks people, not for ordinary updates.

2. a person, usually a woman, who gets immediate attention because of striking beau

2.nounC1
Definition

a person, usually a woman, who gets immediate attention because of striking beauty and strong sexual appeal.

Example

In the red dress, Yara looked like a bombshell on stage tonight.

look like a bombshell

After the swimwear shoot, the magazine called Amara the summer's new bombshell.

call someone a bombshell

Common collocations
  • blonde bombshell
  • Hollywood bombshell
  • look like a bombshell
  • glamour bombshell
Synonyms
  • stunner

    informal and close in meaning, with less focus on sex appeal

  • beauty

    more general and less dramatic

  • knockout

    very informal and strongly focused on impressive looks

  • sex symbol

    often used for a famous person with a public glamorous image

Grammar Patterns

look like a bombshell

be a bombshell

turn someone into a bombshell

Usage Note

Informal and common in fashion, film, and celebrity talk. It usually highlights striking looks and sex appeal, not simply that someone is nice or generally good-looking.

Common Mistakes

My aunt is a bombshell because she is kind.
My aunt looked like a bombshell in her silver evening dress.
This sense praises striking physical attractiveness, not personality.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Bombshell is stronger than surprise. A surprise can be small, pleasant, or private, but a bombshell usually brings public shock and often causes trouble. Shocker is informal and very close, though it can also describe behavior or events more generally. Revelation is more neutral and focuses on hidden information becoming known, without the same explosive effect on listeners. Stunner can mean something amazing, but it often sounds more positive than bombshell. In politics and business, bombshell often suggests a single announcement that changes the situation at once. You can say, 'The CEO's arrest was a bombshell for investors,' but 'The painting was a stunner at the show.'

shockersurprise ↗revelation ↗stunner

Common collocations

Phrases

  • be a bombshell

Etymology

English

Bombshell was formed in English from bomb and shell. It first named an explosive shell, and later developed figurative uses for something that hits with sudden force, such as shocking news, and for a person whose looks have a dramatic effect on others.