bomb
/bɒm/ IELTSAcademic
noun
An explosive weapon that explodes after being set off. It can cause damage, fire, or injury.
- The bomb exploded near the bridge.
- Police found a bomb in the bag.
verb
To fail badly, especially in a performance, test, or business plan.
- The play bombed on opening night.
- My presentation bombed because I was nervous.
noun
A great success, especially in slang or informal speech.
- Her new song is a bomb.
- The movie was a bomb at the box office.
Adinary Nuance
Bomb is the strongest and most direct word among near-neighbors like explosive, device, and missile. It often means a weapon that explodes, but in informal English it can also mean a total failure. In modern speech, that failure meaning is common in business, exams, and entertainment.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- bom
- Spanish
- bomba
- Chinese
- 炸弹
- Japanese
- 爆弾
- Korean
- 폭탄
Etymology
Bomb came into English in the 1600s from French bombe, from Italian bomba, and earlier from Latin and Greek words for a loud sound or a boom-like noise.
Common phrases
bomb threatatomic bombbox-office bombbomb out
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is bomb a formal word?
- It is neutral for the weapon meaning, but informal for the meaning 'fail badly.'
- What's the difference between bomb and explosive?
- A bomb is a type of explosive object, while explosive is a broader word for something that can explode.
- Can I say a movie was a bomb?
- Yes. It means the movie failed badly or did not earn much money.
- Is bomb used in academic writing?
- Yes, for the weapon meaning. For the slang meaning, use it carefully in formal writing.