photobombing

P3H4O1T1O1B3O1M3B3I1N1G2

noun

The practice or phenomenon of making an unexpected appearance in a photograph, especially with the deliberate intention of ruining it.

OriginEnglish bombing ← Ancient Greek γράφω (gráphō) ← Proto-Hellenic *grə́pʰō →
Scrabble 24
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Meanings

nounphotobombing (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe practice or phenomenon of making an unexpected appearance in a photograph, especially with the deliberate intention of ruining it.
verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of photobomb

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
  4. Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
  5. Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
  6. Ancient Greekφωτο- (phōto-)
  7. Englishphoto-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*gerbʰ-
  9. Proto-Hellenic*grə́pʰō
  10. Ancient Greekγράφω (gráphō)
  11. Englishphotographclip.
  12. Englishphoto
  13. Englishbombing
  14. Englishphotobombing

From photo + bombing.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

photobombing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photobombing

MLA

“photobombing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photobombing. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “photobombing,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photobombing.

Source: photobombing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.