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to bomb

to bomb

47 5.1
To fail badly, for example in a test or performance
  • verb
  • /bɑm/
  • Informal
translation icon : fracasar
  • And this girl went up and she bombed so hard.

It's kind of thing I bombed on a cruise once and.

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Examples

  • Do they want to see their children bomb the AP Biology test?

    Academic text (2011)
  • My parents are all about tough love since I bombed out of Penn State.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • I used to apologize when I just would bomb an audition.

  • Now that they release it in November, if it bombs, the holiday sales are screwed.

    Blog text (5)
  • It's dude, I have bombed in front of my own crowd too.

  • Sometimes the most qualified applicant can totally bomb an interview, but with a few good tips, they can shine!

    Blog text (18)
  • This is back when I bombed at the Royal Albert Hall.

  • Now, if he bombs in the debate next Wednesday, well, he's bombed.

  • In sixth place, comic book adaptation/remake Dredd bombed with just $6.3 million from 2,506 locations.

    Blog text (12)
  • When the actor forgot his lines, he feared he would bomb the entire performance.

Synonyms

to fail
vsto bomb
438 1.0

Not pass a test or course

means not passing but carries a stronger sense of doing very badly
to flunk
vsto bomb
  • Informal
85 5.6

To fail an exam or class by not getting a passing grade

involves a more severe lack of success beyond merely missing a passing grade
to be a bomb
vsto bomb
  • Slang
5 8.6

Fail completely so people see it does not work

is about doing very badly at something without necessarily being publicly embarrassing
to duff
vsto bomb
  • UK
1 9.4

To fail at something in a clumsy way

expresses poor performance without the special clumsy or awkward manner

Antonyms

846 2.0

To reach a goal after trying hard

11 1.4

A successful result in an exam

Idioms

to be a bomb
  • Slang
5 8.6

Fail completely so people see it does not work

To tell people shocking news suddenly

9.7

To use the F-word to shock people

to drop the f-bomb
  • Offensive
9.9

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

Phrasal Verbs

4 7.5

To attack a wide area from the air by dropping many bombs

1 8.3

Make people homeless by destroying their homes with bombs

1 8.8

To load a plane with bombs before an attack mission

to letter bomb
  • Offensive
8.8

To send a bomb hidden in an envelope to hurt someone

9.9

To drop many bombs over an area in a set pattern

Compounds

atomic bomb
  • Specialized
66 2.3

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

car bomb
  • Offensive
39 5.0

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

32 3.0

A very powerful weapon that splits atoms to release huge energy

pipe bomb
  • Offensive
29 5.9

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

28 3.4

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

26 4.6

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

16 3.0

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

dirty bomb
  • NSFW
10 7.7

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

9 2.5

A sudden explosion from a bomb

cluster bomb
  • Specialized
8 6.7

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

hydrogen bomb
  • Specialized
8 4.9

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

7 3.6

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

smart bomb
  • Specialized
7 4.0

A bomb that can be guided to hit a specific target

5 7.5

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

5 4.5

An area in a town destroyed or badly damaged by bombs

4 3.7

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

ticking bomb
  • Informal
3 5.2

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

laser-guided bomb
  • Specialized
3 4.1

A bomb that follows laser light to hit a target accurately

H-bomb
  • NSFW
3 4.0

A very powerful nuclear weapon that explodes by joining hydrogen atoms

neutron bomb
  • Specialized
2 7.0

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

gas bomb
  • Offensive
2 4.6

A bomb that releases toxic gas when it explodes

1 5.8

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

letter bomb
  • Offensive
1 7.8

A small bomb hidden in an envelope that explodes when opened

1 7.1

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

1 3.4

A bomb set to explode at a fixed time

megaton bomb
  • Specialized
1 6.0

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

fusion bomb
  • Specialized
1 6.3

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

sex bomb
  • NSFW
1 7.4

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

buzz bomb
  • Archaic
1 9.4

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

1 7.4

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

incendiary bomb
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A bomb that starts fires to burn buildings or fuel

package bomb
  • Offensive
1 5.6

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

shoe bomb
  • Offensive
1 7.9

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

bomb rack
  • Specialized
1 7.4

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

dumb bomb
  • Specialized
1 5.1

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

1 7.0

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

balloon bomb
  • Archaic
1 7.9

An explosive that a balloon carries to travel far and explode

fission bomb
  • Specialized
1 6.7

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

flying bomb
  • Archaic
1 7.9

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

fuel-air bomb
  • Specialized
1 8.4

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

gravity bomb
  • Specialized
1 6.2

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

1 5.6

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

plutonium bomb
  • Specialized
1 7.2

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

sugar bomb
  • Informal
1 3.6

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

thermonuclear bomb
  • Specialized
1 6.9

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

bomb calorimeter
  • Specialized
8.1

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

7.6

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

calorie bomb
  • Informal
4.2

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

clean bomb
  • Archaic
6.1

A nuclear bomb that produces very little radioactive fallout

depth bomb
  • Archaic
8.1

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

E-bomb
  • Specialized
9.9

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

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

8.2

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

An explosive that sends many small fast pieces to hurt people

atomic F-bomb
  • Offensive
8.5

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

fragmentation bomb
  • Specialized
8.1

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

logic bomb
  • Specialized
7.9

Hidden code in a program that does harm when triggered

megaton bomb
  • Literature
4.9

A very shocking event or announcement that causes big change

8.8

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

general-purpose bomb
  • Specialized
4.4

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

GP bomb
  • NSFW
6.0

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

robot bomb
  • Specialized
7.8

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

5.9

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

penetration bomb
  • Specialized
7.6

A strong bomb that goes through hard targets before it explodes

5.1

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

9.8

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

9.9

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

total bomb
  • Informal
7.7

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

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

umami bomb
  • Slang
6.3

A dish with a very strong savory taste

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 Bad

to bomb
  • Informal
47 5.1
to fail
438 1.0

Surface Forms

bomb infinitive
bombed past
bombed past participle
bombing present participle
bombs third person singular

Etymology

Bomb as a verb meaning 'fail badly' is slang you can remember by thinking of a test or show that 'blows up' in a bad way. So to bomb an exam is to do very poorly on it.