bomb

plural bombs

1. An explosive device used or intended as a weapon, especially, one dropped from an aircraft.

   The size of the ground hole crater from the blast indicates it was a bomb.

   2008, Sidney Gelb, Foreign Service Agent, page 629

   1. datedoftenThe atomic bomb.

      During the Cold War, everyone worried about the bomb sometimes.

   2. figurativelyEvents or conditions that have a speedy destructive effect.

      "The hard Brexiteers have built a bomb under the UK automotive industry and the EU have lit it," they said.

      2018 June 6, “Brexit: EU advises businesses not to use British components because of Theresa May's plan to leave customs union”, in The Guardian

      2 more examples

      If Alberta’s reserves are a carbon bomb, this global expansion of tar sands and oil shale exploitation amounts to an escalating emissions arms race, the unlocking of a subterranean cache of weapons of mass ecological destruction.

      2014 April 25, Martin Lukacs, “Canada becoming launch-pad of a global tar sands and oil shale frenzy”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 190, number 20, page 13

      Mr. Gaetz’s loyalty to Mr. Trump, and willingness to toss proverbial bombs in Washington’s corridors of power, has shown no bounds, at least in public.

      2024 November 14, Linda Feldmann, Henry Gass, “Trump’s eye-popping Cabinet picks show his top priority: Loyalty”, in The Christian Science Monitor

   3. archaichistoricalA grenade, mortar shell, or artillery shell.

      And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air / Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there

      1814, “The Star-Spangled Banner”, Francis Scott Key (lyrics), John Stafford Smith (music)

      Synonyms: bombshell

   4. abbreviationarchaicellipsishistoricalEllipsis of bomb ship.
   5. alternativearchaicuncommonAlternative form of boom (“barrier used to obstruct navigation for military or other purposes”)

      Juſt by the Black Sea are two Caſtles, one in Europe and the other in Aſia […] Anciently a Chain or Bomb lay acroſs from Caſtle to Caſtle, to prevent the paſſing of Ships in troublesome times.

      1702, Corneille le Bruyn, translated by W.J., A Voyage to the Levant, page 37

      1 more example

      they make no doubt of being Maſters of the Iſland, but the Entrance to the Place intended to be next attack’d, being ſecur’d by a Chain or Bomb the breaking of which might greatly damage their Shipping, they deferr’d attempting it before more arriv’d

      1745 July 20, “London”, in Old England or the Constitutional Journal, page 2

2. colloquialAny explosive charge.

   The mineworkers are setting their bombs.

3. in compoundsA bag or balloon containing a substance such as water, flour, or paint, designed to burst and splatter.

   Activists threw paint bombs at the famous artwork.

   1 more example

   The children are playing with water bombs in the garden.

4. colloquialfigurativelyAnything that is at risk of exploding (literally) or that has exploded.

   That turkey fryer is a bomb waiting to go off.

   1 more example

   The gas leak tragically turned the house into a bomb.

5. IndiaSouthcolloquialA fart.

   He just dropped a bomb.

6. slangA failure; an unpopular commercial product.

   box-office bomb

   3 more examples

   Projection problems plagued Countess’ London premiere on January 5, 1967, Jerry Epstein recalled, and it was perhaps an omen, for reaction by critics afterward was swift and immediate: The film was a bomb.

   1997, Eric L. Flom, Chaplin in the Sound Era: An Analysis of the Seven Talkies, page 277

   The movie was a bomb and so was my next film, Balboa, in which I played a scheming real estate tycoon.

   2010, Tony Curtis, Peter Golenbock, American Prince: My Autobiography, unnumbered page

   The movie was a bomb, but it put the band before an even larger audience.

   2011, Elizabeth Barfoot Christian, Rock Brands: Selling Sound in a Media Saturated Culture, page 11

7. AustraliaUSinformalA car in poor condition.

   Nowadays, an old bomb simply won’t pass the inspection.

   2005 August 6, “Warm affection for a rust-bucket past”, in Sydney Morning Herald

   2 more examples

   We′ve got the money and it just feels ridiculous to let you drive around in that old bomb.

   2010, Rebecca James, Beautiful Malice, page 19

   After two weeks of driving it she knew the car was a bomb and she did not need anyone saying it to her. The only one allowed to pick on her car was her. Piece of crap car[…]

   2011, Amarinda Jones, Seducing Celestine, page 49

   Synonyms: lemon, rustbucket

8. AustraliaUKslangA large amount of money.

   make a bomb

   5 more examples

   cost a bomb

   When Kiley presented Blackpool with the custom shotgun, he said, “This must′ve cost a bomb.”

   2009, Matthew Vierling, The Blizzard, page 133

   'You′ve already spent a bomb!' 'Not on it, Sal — under it. Presents!' As we eventually staggered up to bed, Sally said to me, 'I hope to God he's not been spending a bomb on presents, too.[…]'

   2010, Liz Young, Fair Game, page 136

   The kids cost a bomb to feed, they eat all the time.

   2011, Michael R. Häack, Passport: A Novel of International Intrigue, page 47

   2011, Bibe, A Victim, page 38, He had recently exchanged his old bike for a new, three speed racer, which cost a bomb and the weekly payment were becoming difficult, with the dangers of repossession.

   Synonyms: fortune, packet, pretty penny

9. Something highly effective or attractive.
   1. UKslangA success; the bomb.

      Our fabulous new crumpets have been selling like a bomb.

   2. IndiaUKslangA very attractive woman.

      Synonyms: bombshell

   3. in compoundsoftenAn action or statement that causes a strong reaction.

      It was an ordinary speech, until the president dropped a bomb: he would be retiring for medical reasons.

      Synonyms: bombshell

   4. in compoundsoftenAn obscene word identified by its first letter.

      Normally very controlled, he dropped the F-bomb and cursed the paparazzi.

      Synonyms: bombshell

   5. slangAmerican footballA long forward pass.
   6. slangball gamesA high kick that sends the ball relatively straight up so players can get under it before it comes down.

      Synonyms: garryowen, up and under

   7. slangball gamesA throw into the basket from a considerable distance.

      With five seconds remaining, Smith received the inbounds pass and launched a bomb that dropped through the net to give his team an 80-79 victory.

      2013, Brett L. Abrams, Raphael Mazzone, The Bullets, the Wizards, and Washington, DC, Basketball, page 163

   8. slangA highly potent joint (cannabis cigarette).

      Give me two bucks, you take a puff and pass my bomb back / Suck up that dank like a Slurpee, the serious / Bomb will make a niggy go delirious like Eddie Murphy

      1995, “I Got 5 on It”, in Operation Stackola, performed by Luniz

   9. in compoundsinformalA piece of food, often small, usually intensely flavored.

      Amazing Pepperoni Pizza Bombs explode with flavor with every bite! They are loaded with pepperoni, cheese, and sauce to create a delicious POP of flavor in your mouth – hence the name!

      2023 April 9, Amy Desrosiers, “Amazing Pepperoni Cheese Pizza Bombs That Explode With Flavor!”, in Sizzling Eats, archived from the original on 07 Jan 2026

      2 more examples

      Bacon-wrapped sausage stuffed with cheese, onions, jalapenos, and more bacon is as artery-clogging as it is delicious! […] Remove bacon bomb from the smoker; let rest for 30 minutes before slicing.

      2018, Rubyduck75 [username], “Smoked Bacon Bombs”, in All recipes, archived from the original on 14 Oct 2018

      These Air Fryer Breakfast Bombs are always a huge hit at our house! Light and flaky biscuit dough wrapped around your favorite breakfast items and baked until golden brown in the air fryer.

      2024, “Air Fryer Breakfast Bombs”, in Make your meals, archived from the original on 26 Feb 2024

10. A cyclone whose central pressure drops at an average rate of at least one millibar per hour for at least 24 hours.

    A bomb for this study is defined as one in which the deepening rate is the geostrophic equivalent of at least 12 mb in 12 h at 45ºN.

    1980 October, Frederick Sanders with John R. Gyakum, “Synoptic-dynamic climatology of the 'bomb'”, in Monthly Weather Review, volume 108, number 10, page 1596

11. chemistryA heavy-walled container designed to permit chemical reactions under high pressure.

    The process consisted in preparing the metal by metallothermic reduction of titanium tetrachloride with sodium metal in a steel bomb.

    2008, François Cardarelli, Materials Handbook: A Concise Desktop Reference, page 276

12. obsoleteA great booming noise; a hollow sound.

    a Pillar of Iron […] Which if you had ſtrucke […] it would make a great Bombe in the Chamber beneath.

    1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “II. Century.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, paragraph 151, page 47

13. pluralslangusuallyA woman’s breast.

    voices from the crowd: Hit her below the belt. (Laughter) voices:Her bombs might explode!

    1989, Lasse Hallström, Reidar Jönsson, Brasse Brännström, Per Berglund, My Life as a Dog, screenplay, page 58

    2 more examples

    Birdie was okay, and occasionally in passing Mort would give her a slap on the behind, or cop of feel of those bombs of hers.

    1970 [1937], Meyer Levin, The Old Bunch, page 477

    The fact that this girl had the greatest rack of any female athlete ever and got her bombs reduced is getting major play in the mainstream press

    2014 December, V.N., “V-Mail”, in Voluptuous, page 20

14. governmentA professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted and then slammed back-first down to the mat.
15. slangA recreational drug ground up, wrapped, and swallowed.
16. colloquialAn act of jumping into water while keeping one's arms and legs tucked into the body, as in a squatting position, to maximize splashing.

    In clear contravention of the International Code of Conduct for Swimming Baths, a teenager had entered the pool by performing a bomb.

    2016, Steve Coogan, Neil Gibbons & Rob Gibbons, Alan Partridge: Nomad, page 45

    Synonyms: cannonball

present singular third person bombs · participle present bombing · participle past bombed · past bombed

1. intransitivetransitiveTo attack using one or more bombs; to bombard.

   2000, Canadian Peace Research Institute, Canadian Peace Research and Education Association, Peace Research, Volumes 32-33, page 65, 15 May: US jets bombed air-defence sites north of Mosul, as the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the US and Britain of intentionally bombing civilian targets. (AP)

   2 more examples

   Italy had bombed cities in the Ethiopian war; Italy and Germany had bombed civilians in the Spanish Civil War; at the start of World War II German planes dropped bombs on Rotterdam in Holland, Coventry in England, and elsewhere.

   2005, Howard Zinn, A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present, page 421

   Essendon was bombed in the early hours of 3 September 1916; a few houses and part of the church were destroyed, and two sisters killed.

   2007, David Parker, Hertfordshire Children in War and Peace, 1914-1939, page 59

   1. figurativelyintransitiveoftentransitiveTo attack or annoy in the manner of a bombing.

      School days have been missed or cut short many times to accommodate soccer travel through the years, but this return felt different. Photos posted on his social media documenting the experience were seen by classmates, many of whom bombed him with questions about his future in the sport.

      2022 May 7, Ray Brewer, “Henderson native takes another step toward his soccer dreams with spot on Lights' roster”, in Las Vegas Sun

2. informalTo jump into water in a squatting position, with the arms wrapped around the legs, in order to maximise the resulting splash.
3. informalTo add an excessive amount of chlorine to a pool when it has not been maintained properly.
4. especiallyinformaldown; up etc.; down; up etc.To move at high speed.

   I was bombing down the road on my motorbike.

5. reflexiveslangTo make oneself drunk.

   The calendar was selling Moctezuma beer, so I had one of them in her honor while Murray bombed himself with the mezcal.

   1985, Pete Hamill, Dirty Laundry, page 97

   1 more example

   TED: The champagne you ordered, sir. MAN: No time for this. Leave it on ice. WIFE: But I want some now... MAN: There'll be plenty for you at the party, baby, you can bomb yourself all you want at the party.

   1995, Four Rooms (film)

6. slangTo cover an area in many graffiti tags.

   It is often used to collect other writer's tags, and future plans for bombing and piecing.

   2009, Scape Martinez, GRAFF: The Art & Technique of Graffiti, page 124

7. ambitransitiveslangTo fail dismally.

   I totally bombed that exam.

   4 more examples

   The nondiscrimination measures bombed at the polls, losing 18 percent to 82 percent. One gay activist in the city told GCN, "We got whupped."

   1985 February 2, Sue Hyde, “Houston Gay Rights Squashed in Referendum”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 28, page 1

   So Hall quit the job, turned in the company car and went to Chicago, where as a stand-up comic he bombed several times before he was discovered by Nancy Wilson, who took him on the road — where he bombed again before a room of Republicans—and then to Los Angeles.

   1992 June, Lynn Norment, “Arsenio Hall: Claiming the Late-night Crown”, in Ebony, page 74

   2000, Carmen Infantino, Jon B. Cooke (interviewer), The Carmen Infantino Interview, in Jon B. Cooke, Neal Adams, Comic Book Artist Collection, page 12, Carmen: […] Then it bombed and it bombed badly. After a few more issues I asked Mike what was happening and he said, “I′m trying everything I can but it′s just not working.” So I took him off the book and he left. That was it.

   She was the reason why he bombed the interview. He just couldn′t seem to get her out of his mind.

   2008, Erik Sternberger, The Long and Winding Road, page 62

8. intransitiveslangcomputingTo crash.

   When things weren't going Alison's way at work — some editor wanted something changed or her computer bombed again — she'd cuss and yell at whoever happened to be in the way.

   2001, Janet Holm McHenry, Girlfriend Gatherings: Creative Ways to Stay Connected, page 28

9. slangtransitiveTo make a smelly mess in (a toilet).

   Synonyms: blow up

10. obsoleteTo sound; to boom; to make a humming or buzzing sound.

    What over-charged piece of melancholie / Is this, breakes in betweene my wishes thus, / With bombing sighs?

    1625, Ben Jonson, The Fortunate Isles and Their Union

11. slangSynonym of parachute (“wrap illicit drugs in a covering before swallowing them”).

    Synonyms: parachute

comparative more bomb · superlative most bomb

1. slangGreat, awesome.

   Have you tried the new tacos from that restaurant? They're pretty bomb!

plural Bombs

1. informalThe atomic bomb; the capacity to launch a nuclear attack.

   Pakistan and India both have the Bomb now.

1. abbreviationderogatoryinitialismoffensiveslangvulgarInitialism of bottom of the motherfucking barrel (indicating that something or someone is egregiously unfavorable).