Definition

1. Noun:

   • An explosive device: A container filled with explosive material, designed to explode and cause damage or destruction.
   • A failure: (Informal) An event, performance, or thing that is a complete failure or disappointment.
   • A sealed vessel: A strong container used in scientific experiments to measure the heat of combustion.

2. Verb:

   • To attack with bombs: To drop bombs on a place or target from an aircraft, or to attack using explosive devices.
   • To fail completely: (Informal, especially in entertainment) To perform very badly or be unsuccessful.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The old building was destroyed by a bomb. (The explosive device caused the destruction.)
  • The new movie was a total bomb at the box office. (The movie was a commercial failure.)
  • The chemist used a calorimeter bomb for the experiment. (The sealed vessel was used for measurement.)

• Verb:

  • During the war, the air force had to bomb enemy factories. (They attacked the factories with explosives.)
  • The comedian's joke completely bombed, and no one laughed. (The joke failed to be funny.)

Advanced Usage

• "to bomb out": To fail completely or to be forced to leave a place because of bombing.

  • He bombed out of the competition in the first round. (He failed and was eliminated early.)
  • Many families were bombed out of their homes. (Bombing forced them to leave.)

• "to go down a bomb" / "to be a bomb": (British informal) To be very successful or popular. (Note: This is the opposite of the "failure" meaning in American English).

  • Her new song is going down a bomb with teenagers. (Her song is very popular with teenagers.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bomber (n): A person who plants bombs, or an aircraft designed for bombing.
• Bombing (n): An attack carried out with bombs.
• Bombard (v): To attack a place with bombs or artillery over a period; to subject someone to a lot of questions, information, etc.
• Bombproof (adj): Strong enough to resist the effects of a bomb explosion.

Synonyms

• Noun (explosive): Explosive, device, charge.
• Noun (failure): Flop, dud, disaster, turkey.
• Verb (attack): Blast, shell, bombard.
• Verb (fail): Flop, fail miserably.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Bomb along: (British informal) To move very quickly.
  • The car was bombing along the motorway. (The car was moving very fast on the highway.)

Related Idioms

• "Like a bomb": (Informal) Very successfully, quickly, or powerfully.

  • The new product is selling like a bomb. (The product is selling very successfully and quickly.)

• "Cost a bomb": (British informal) To be very expensive.

  • That designer handbag must have cost a bomb! (That handbag was very expensive.)

• "Drop a bombshell": To suddenly announce shocking or surprising news.

  • He dropped a bombshell when he said he was quitting his job. (He gave very surprising news.)

Verb

1. fail to get a passing grade
   • She studied hard but failed nevertheless
   • Did I fail the test?
2. throw bombs at or attack with bombs
   • The Americans bombed Dresden

Noun

1. an event that fails badly or is totally ineffectual
   • the first experiment was a real turkey
   • the meeting was a dud as far as new business was concerned
2. strong sealed vessel for measuring heat of combustion
3. an explosive device fused to explode under specific conditions