bomb
n. countablen. a weapon designed to explode and cause damage. In casual conversation, it can also mean a movie or show that fails completely.
n. an explosive device fused to detonate under specific conditions, typically for destructive purposes. In informal registers, it refers to a total failure, particularly in the context of commercial entertainment.
The old building was destroyed by a bomb.
The director was shocked when his big-budget movie turned out to be a total bomb at the box office.
While the historical site was protected from the aerial bomb, the surrounding infrastructure suffered significant damage that took years to repair.
From French bombe, from Italian bomba, from Latin bombus (“a booming sound”), from Ancient Greek βόμβος (bómbos, “booming, humming, buzzing”), imitative of the sound itself. Doublet of bombe. Compare boom.
Commonly used with the verb 'to go off' for explosions or 'to be a' for failures.