nuke
/njuːk/ IELTSAcademic
verb
To destroy a place or target with a nuclear weapon. It can also mean to attack something very severely.
- They threatened to nuke the city.
- The server was nuked by the attack.
- The storm nearly nuked the whole coastline.
noun
A nuclear bomb. In informal speech, it can also mean a very strong attack or a complete failure.
- The country tested a new nuke.
- That bug was a nuke for the app.
- The team called the loss a nuke.
Adinary Nuance
Nuke is much stronger and more dangerous than words like damage or destroy. In everyday speech, people also use it informally for something that hits very hard, like a website crash or a bad mistake. It is serious, blunt, and usually not polite in formal writing.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- bom hạt nhân
- Spanish
- bomba nuclear
- Chinese
- 核弹
- Japanese
- 核爆弾
- Korean
- 핵폭탄
Etymology
Short for nuclear weapon. It became common in the mid-20th century, especially during the Cold War.
Common phrases
nuke a sitenuke a countrynuke the servernuke an app
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is nuke a formal word?
- No. It is informal and often sounds harsh or alarming.
- What is the difference between nuke and destroy?
- Destroy is general. Nuke usually suggests nuclear force or a very extreme hit.
- Can nuke mean something other than a bomb?
- Yes. In informal English, it can mean to wipe out or badly damage something.
- Is nuke used in business writing?
- Usually no. It can sound too violent or casual for formal business writing.