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Glite Dictionary
calorie bomb

calorie bomb

4.2
A food that has a lot of calories and is often unhealthy
  • noun
  • /ˈkæl.ə.ri bɑm/
  • Informal
translation icon : bomba calórica
  • Many fast food items are calorie bombs that can quickly exceed your daily calorie intake.

Examples

  • These all-American fried wheels of dough need no introduction, but we will say one thing: the delicious guilt of snacking on these addictive calorie bombs makes them taste even better.

    Blog text (10)

  • Desserts like layered cakes and cheesecakes are often calorie bombs that are best enjoyed in moderation.

  • Deep-fried snacks are notorious for being calorie bombs, packed with unhealthy fats and sugars.

How Caloric

calorie bomb
  • Informal
4.2
low-cal
  • Informal
5 3.1

Surface Forms

calorie bomb singular
calorie bombs plural

Morphology

calorie + bomb

The constituents 'calorie' (a unit of food energy) and 'bomb' (used metaphorically to indicate something packed or explosive) together signal a food item loaded with calories, so the basic meaning is inferable. However, using 'bomb' as an intensifying metaphor is somewhat idiomatic and may not be fully predictable to every B1 learner without prior exposure, making the expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

The expression calorie bomb creates a picture of a food that is like a bomb packed with calories. So people call very high-calorie foods a calorie bomb to say they are full of calories and often 'unhealthy'.