bombard
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to attack a place continuously with bombs or large guns.
v.to attack a location or object persistently with artillery shells, bombs, or other projectiles.
Simple“The air force began to bombard the enemy base early in the morning.”
In context“During the final weeks of the siege, the heavy artillery continued to bombard the city walls until a breach was finally made.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to give someone too much information, questions, or work all at once.
v.to direct a high volume of questions, complaints, or information at someone in an overwhelming manner.
Simple“Customers started to bombard the company with emails after the website crashed.”
In context“Reporters began to bombard the spokesperson with aggressive questions regarding the recent policy shift before the press conference had even officially started.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
v.to hit a substance with a stream of very small particles.
v.to direct a stream of high-energy particles, such as neutrons or electrons, at a target substance.
Simple“Scientists bombard the atoms with neutrons to see how they react.”
In context“In the particle accelerator, researchers bombard thin metallic foils with alpha particles to study the resulting nuclear scattering patterns.”
Synonymsirradiate - 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a very old, heavy type of cannon used in the past to break down walls.
n.a medieval siege engine or primitive cannon designed to throw heavy stone balls at fortifications.
Simple“The museum has a massive iron bombard used in the 15th century.”
In context“The development of the bombard revolutionized siege warfare, rendering traditional stone fortifications increasingly vulnerable to heavy projectile impact.”
“Israel continues to bombard southern Lebanon, killing at least 11 people in the worst attacks since a US-brokered ceasefire in June.”
“For instance, any planet that is regularly bombarded by asteroids would find it difficult to sustain life for long.”
From Middle English bombard, from Middle French bombarde (“a bombard, mortar, catapult"; also "a bassoon-like musical instrument”), from Latin bombus (“buzzing; booming”). The modern pronunciation is from modern French bombarde.
From French bombarder, from Middle French bombarde (“a bombard”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.