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bomb

bomb

11 5.6
A complete failure, for example a show or plan that no one likes
  • noun
  • /bɑm/
  • Informal
: fracaso
  • The movie premiered to much fanfare but quickly turned into a bomb at the box office.

Examples

  • That was really a bomb?

  • It's a total bomb.

  • As long as it's not another bomb.

  • A bomb has ruined us, just not the bomb I thought would ruin us.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • You might suppose that the producer of such a calorie and cholesterol bomb would be an ostrich.

    Academic text (1993)
  • The new restaurant was a total bomb; nobody wanted to eat there after the first week.

  • His last album was a complete bomb, failing to chart anywhere despite the hype.

Synonyms

flop
vsbomb
31 4.3

A project or event that does not succeed

applies more generally to any failed event product or performance
dud
vsbomb
  • Informal
20 4.7

Something that fails to work or please people

refers specifically to total failure of events products or performances
turkey
vsbomb
  • Archaic
4 8.6

An event like a movie or play that fails completely

emphasizes outright total failure rather than milder lack of success
total bomb
vsbomb
  • Informal
1 7.7

A thing such as a film or product that fails badly with people

covers failures in any area, not only money or public response

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Getting what you want after working hard

Idioms

To tell people shocking news suddenly

to drop the f-bomb
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Say the rude word 'fuck', often in a situation where it surprises or offends people

to be a bomb
  • Slang
1 8.6

Fail completely so people see it does not work

9.7

To use the F-word to shock people

Compounds

atomic bomb
  • Specialized
61 2.3

A very powerful weapon that splits atoms to make a huge explosion and destroy large areas

car bomb
  • Offensive
58 5.0

An explosive hidden inside a car that can be set off by remote control or a timer

34 4.6

A problem that will become dangerous in the future if not fixed

29 3.4

A strong place often underground where people stay to be safe from bombs

dirty bomb
  • NSFW
25 7.7

A weapon that explodes and spreads radioactive material to contaminate an area, not a nuclear bomb

24 3.0

A very powerful weapon that splits atoms to cause a huge explosion

pipe bomb
  • Offensive
23 5.9

A thing made inside a metal pipe that explodes to hurt people or damage things

ticking bomb
  • Informal
22 5.2

A situation likely to become dangerous soon if people do not fix it

20 3.4

A bomb set to explode at a fixed time

14 3.0

A very powerful weapon that splits atoms to release huge energy

13 2.5

A sudden explosion from a bomb

hydrogen bomb
  • Specialized
11 4.9

A very powerful nuclear bomb that makes a huge explosion by joining hydrogen atoms

11 7.5

A small red firework that makes a very loud bang and can hurt people

cluster bomb
  • Specialized
10 6.7

A weapon that holds many small explosives which spread out and explode over a wide area

10 3.6

A small thing that makes a very bad smell when you open it

smart bomb
  • Specialized
9 4.0

A bomb that can be guided to hit a specific target

8 4.5

An area in a town destroyed or badly damaged by bombs

8 3.7

A small object that makes a thick cloud of smoke to hide people or mark a place

H-bomb
  • NSFW
7 4.0

A very powerful nuclear weapon that explodes by joining hydrogen atoms

gas bomb
  • Offensive
5 4.6

A bomb that releases toxic gas when it explodes

letter bomb
  • Offensive
5 7.8

A small bomb hidden in an envelope that explodes when opened

neutron bomb
  • Specialized
4 7.0

A weapon that kills people mainly with radiation but leaves buildings mostly standing

laser-guided bomb
  • Specialized
3 4.1

A bomb that follows laser light to hit a target accurately

3 5.8

A weapon that releases toxic chemicals when it explodes to kill or harm people

megaton bomb
  • Specialized
2 6.0

A very powerful nuclear bomb equal to one million tons of TNT

plutonium bomb
  • Specialized
2 7.2

A very powerful bomb that uses plutonium to make a huge nuclear explosion

fission bomb
  • Specialized
2 6.7

A bomb that releases a huge amount of energy by splitting heavy atoms like uranium or plutonium

incendiary bomb
  • Specialized
2 6.3

A bomb that starts fires to burn buildings or fuel

fusion bomb
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A weapon that makes a very large explosion by joining light atoms like hydrogen

buzz bomb
  • Archaic
1 9.4

A small jet-powered flying bomb used by Germany in World War II to attack cities

1 7.1

A bottle filled with petrol and a burning rag, thrown to start a fire

sex bomb
  • NSFW
1 7.4

A person, often a woman, who many people find very sexually attractive

1 5.6

A bomb you can make explode from far away using a small device you hold

shoe bomb
  • Offensive
1 7.9

An explosive hidden inside a shoe that someone can make explode secretly

flying bomb
  • Archaic
1 7.9

A small flying machine with wings that carries a bomb to a target

1 7.4

A simple weapon that uses a bottle of gasoline and a cloth wick to start fires

thermonuclear bomb
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A very powerful weapon that makes a huge explosion by joining tiny hydrogen atoms at extreme heat

package bomb
  • Offensive
1 5.6

A hidden device that explodes when someone opens a box or envelope

E-bomb
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A weapon that explodes in the air to stop electronic devices from working

fuel-air bomb
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A bomb that spreads fuel into the air and then explodes to make a very large blast

dumb bomb
  • Specialized
1 5.1

An explosive dropped from a plane that falls by gravity without guidance

balloon bomb
  • Archaic
1 7.9

An explosive that a balloon carries to travel far and explode

GP bomb
  • NSFW
1 6.0

A heavy weapon dropped from a plane to destroy buildings and hurt people

1 7.6

An explosive hidden in a briefcase that can be made to explode later

robot bomb
  • Specialized
1 7.8

A missile with wings and a jet engine that carries explosives to a target without a person on board

bomb rack
  • Specialized
1 7.4

A metal frame on an aircraft that holds and drops bombs in flight

1 7.0

A bomb that sends out many small metal pieces to injure or kill people

gravity bomb
  • Specialized
1 6.2

A bomb dropped from a plane that falls to a target without guidance

total bomb
  • Informal
1 7.7

A thing such as a film or product that fails badly with people

logic bomb
  • Specialized
1 7.9

Hidden code in a program that does harm when triggered

1 5.1

An explosive device made from plastic explosives that can be shaped to fit small spaces

fragmentation bomb
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A weapon that explodes and sends metal pieces at high speed to hurt people and damage things nearby

sugar bomb
  • Informal
1 3.6

A food or drink that has a lot of sugar and tastes very sweet

1 5.9

An explosive hidden inside a package or envelope that explodes when opened

calorie bomb
  • Informal
1 4.2

A food that has a lot of calories and is often unhealthy

1 8.8

A weapon that explodes in the air to stop electronic devices from working without hurting people or buildings

clean bomb
  • Archaic
1 6.1

A nuclear bomb that produces very little radioactive fallout

penetration bomb
  • Specialized
1 7.6

A strong bomb that goes through hard targets before it explodes

depth bomb
  • Archaic
1 8.1

A weapon that explodes underwater at a set depth to attack submarines

1 7.1

A container under pressure that sprays a fine mist of liquid or gas when opened

general-purpose bomb
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A large explosive object that makes a strong blast and many flying pieces

1 9.9

A bomb that spreads fuel and ignites to make a very hot, powerful blast

umami bomb
  • Slang
1 6.3

A dish with a very strong savory taste

1 8.2

An explosive that sends many small fast pieces to hurt people

megaton bomb
  • Literature
1 4.9

A very shocking event or announcement that causes big change

bomb calorimeter
  • Specialized
8.1

A strong closed container that measures heat from burning things in a lab

8.2

A weapon that sprays flammable liquid into the air then sets it on fire to make a large explosion

atomic F-bomb
  • Offensive
8.5

A very strong use of the F-word that shocks people

Guided Bomb Unit-28
  • Specialized
9.4

A heavy laser-guided bomb weighing 5,000 pounds that goes deep into bunkers to destroy them

9.8

A small underwater explosive fishermen use to scare seals from fishing areas

A small device that makes a very bad smell to drive people away

8.2

A weapon that spreads fuel into the air and then sets it on fire, causing a very large blast

9.8

A bomb that spreads fuel into the air and then sets it on fire to make a very large explosion

How Successful

success
∞ 1.0
failure
710 1.3
bomb
  • Informal
11 5.6

Surface Forms

bomb singular
bombs plural

Etymology

Bomb meaning a big failure grew as slang and you can remember it with a simple image: a show or idea that 'explodes' in the wrong way and is ruined by the result. So if something is a bomb, it means it was a complete failure.