carpet bombing
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: * An extensive and systematic bombing intended to devastate a large target: A military tactic involving the dropping of a large number of unguided bombs over a wide area to destroy everything within it, rather than targeting specific points.
Usage
- The term is used primarily in military and historical contexts to describe a specific type of aerial bombardment.
- It often carries connotations of indiscriminate destruction and is associated with major conflicts like World War II.
- It can be used metaphorically to describe any intense, widespread, and non-selective action.
Examples
- Noun:
- The city was destroyed by relentless carpet bombing during the war.
- Historians debate the strategic necessity of the carpet bombing campaign.
- (Metaphorical) The company launched a carpet bombing advertising campaign, buying ads on every channel and website.
Advanced Usage
- "To carpet-bomb" (verb, often hyphenated): The act of carrying out such an attack.
- The air force was ordered to carpet-bomb the enemy's industrial region.
Variants and Related Words
- Saturation bombing (n.): A very similar term, often used interchangeably with "carpet bombing," emphasizing the complete coverage of the target area.
- Area bombardment (n.): A more general military term for attacking a large area rather than a precise target.
Synonyms
- Saturation bombing
- Blanket bombing
- Area bombing
Antonyms
- Precision bombing
- Surgical strike
- Targeted attack
Related Idioms/Phrases
- Scorched earth (policy/strategy): While not identical, this idiom relates to a strategy of destroying anything that might be useful to an enemy, including one's own resources, and shares the concept of widespread devastation.
Noun
- an extensive and systematic bombing intended to devastate a large target