Definition

1. Verb:

   • To attack a place with bombs or heavy artillery: To subject a target to a continuous and heavy discharge of explosive projectiles.
   • To direct a continuous stream of high-energy particles or radiation at something: Used in physics and chemistry.
   • To assail someone persistently with questions, criticisms, requests, or information: To overwhelm someone with a large, rapid, and continuous amount of something.

2. Noun:

   • A medieval cannon used to hurl large stones: A type of early artillery.
   • (Music) A large shawm; the bass member of the shawm family: A historical double-reed woodwind instrument.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • The air force will bombard the enemy positions at dawn.
  • In the experiment, they bombard the sample with neutrons.
  • Reporters bombarded the celebrity with questions about her personal life.

• Noun:

  • The castle walls were breached by a bombard. (historical context)
  • The renaissance music ensemble included a bombard. (musical context)

Advanced Usage

• "to be bombarded with/by something": To be overwhelmed by a large quantity of something, typically intangible.
  • The company's website was bombarded with traffic after the product launch.
  • She felt bombarded by negative news on social media.

Variants and Related Words

• Bombardment (n): The act or instance of bombarding.

  • The city endured weeks of aerial bombardment.
  • A constant bombardment of advertisements.

• Bombarder (n): One who or that which bombards (less common).

Synonyms

• Verb: Shell, barrage, pound, attack, assail, pelt, shower.
• Noun: (for the weapon) Cannon, mortar. (For the instrument) Shawm, pommer.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

(Note: "Bombard" is not typically used in standard phrasal verb constructions. Its meaning is carried by the verb itself, often followed by "with" or "by.")

Related Idioms

• "Bombard someone with something": This is the standard idiomatic construction.
  • During the press conference, they bombarded the minister with accusations.

Noun

1. a large shawm; the bass member of the shawm family

Verb

1. direct high energy particles or radiation against
2. address with continuously or persistently, as if with a barrage
   • The speaker was barraged by an angry audience
   • The governor was bombarded with requests to grant a pardon to the convicted killer
3. throw bombs at or attack with bombs
   • The Americans bombed Dresden
4. cast, hurl, or throw repeatedly with some missile
   • They pelted each other with snowballs