thunderbolt

thunderbolt — noun

1. a single brilliant streak of electricity in the sky during a storm, shown as a s

1.nounB1
Definition

a single brilliant streak of electricity in the sky during a storm, shown as a sudden bright flash that is followed closely by a loud crash of thunder

Example

A thunderbolt lit up the whole valley for just a brief moment.

During the storm, Wei saw a thunderbolt split the sky above the rice fields.

pattern: thunderbolt + split / tear across / light up [area]

Common collocations
  • struck by a thunderbolt
  • a thunderbolt struck/hit/crashed
  • a thunderbolt lit up the sky
Synonyms
  • lightning

    broader term referring to the flash only, not necessarily with thunder

  • thunderclap

    focuses on the loud sound rather than the visual flash

  • bolt of lightning

    similar meaning but emphasises the linear shape of the strike

Grammar Patterns

a thunderbolt + verb of impact (struck / hit / crashed)

X + struck by a thunderbolt

Usage Note

Describes a single lightning strike with its accompanying thunder — not used for continuous thunder or for lightning without sound. Frequently found in weather descriptions and mythological references.

Common Mistakes

I heard thunderbolts all night long.
I heard thunder all night long.
Thunderbolt refers to one sudden flash-and-crash event, not continuous rumbling.
A thunderbolt is the same as lightning.
A thunderbolt is lightning that strikes with an immediate crash of thunder.
Lightning alone does not include the sound.

2. a piece of news or a sudden event that arrives so unexpectedly that it shocks pe

2.nounB2
Definition

a piece of news or a sudden event that arrives so unexpectedly that it shocks people greatly, often changing how they understand a situation

Example

The news of the bank's collapse came as a thunderbolt to the small town.

pattern: [news/event] + came as a thunderbolt + [to someone]

Without any warning, the divorce papers arrived like a thunderbolt for Rania.

Common collocations
  • came as a thunderbolt
  • hit like a thunderbolt
  • a thunderbolt for someone
Synonyms
  • bombshell

    similar intensity, more common in news headlines and gossip

  • bolt from the blue

    idiom with the same core meaning, emphasising complete lack of warning

  • shock

    broader term covering anything from mild surprise to deep trauma

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

came as a thunderbolt [to someone]

hit [someone] like a thunderbolt

was a thunderbolt for [someone]

Usage Note

Often used in the fixed expressions 'came as a thunderbolt,' 'hit like a thunderbolt,' or 'was a thunderbolt.' Particularly common in news reporting and personal narratives about life-changing surprises. The closely related idiom 'a bolt from the blue' carries the same figurative meaning.

Common Mistakes

My boss gave me a thunderbolt yesterday.
My boss's sudden decision came as a thunderbolt yesterday.
A thunderbolt describes the nature of the news, not something a person gives you.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Bombshell, shock, thunderbolt, bolt from the blue, and surprise all refer to something unexpected, but they differ greatly in intensity and register. Thunderbolt and bolt from the blue are the most vivid — both suggest an event so sudden that it completely changes one's understanding of a situation, with 'bolt from the blue' adding the image of a cloudless sky to emphasise the total lack of warning. Bombshell is similar in intensity but is more common in news headlines and gossip contexts ('the bombshell revelation'). Shock is the broadest term, covering everything from mild surprise to deep emotional trauma. Surprise is the mildest and most neutral — receiving a gift can be a pleasant surprise but never a thunderbolt. In everyday speech, thunderbolt is far less common than shock or surprise; it belongs to writing, news reporting, and fixed expressions like 'came as a thunderbolt.'

bombshell ↗shock ↗bolt from the bluesurprise ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • like a thunderbolt
  • came as a thunderbolt
  • hit like a thunderbolt

Prepositions

  • like a thunderbolt
  • as a thunderbolt

Etymology

Germanic (Old English)English

Thunderbolt is a compound of two Old English words: 'thunder' (þunor — the loud sound from a storm) and 'bolt' (bolt — a short, heavy arrow). In ancient mythology, people believed that thunderbolts were arrows or weapons thrown across the sky by angry gods — the Greek god Zeus and the Norse god Thor were both said to hurl thunderbolts at their enemies. Over time, the word lost its mythical meaning and came to describe the natural phenomenon of lightning striking the earth with a crash of thunder.