- 1[countable] a weapon designed to explode at a particular time or when it is dropped or thrown a bomb attack/blast/explosion a bomb goes off/explodes extensive bomb damage Hundreds of bombs were dropped on the city. see dirty bomb
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- 2the bomb [singular] nuclear weapons (atomic or hydrogen bombs) countries that have the bomb
- 3a bomb [singular] (informal) a complete failure The musical was a complete bomb on Broadway.
- 4[countable] (in football) a long forward throw of the ball
- 5[countable] a container in which a liquid such as paint or insect poison is kept under pressure and released as a spray or as foam a bug bomb (= used for killing insects) see cherry bomb Idioms
to be very good; to be the best Check out the new Web site. It's the bomb!
Check pronunciation: bomb