# bombard

/bɑmˈbɑɹd/ (US) · /bəmbˈɑːd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bombard
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to attack with weapons

verb · CEFR B2

to attack a place continuously with bombs or large guns.

For teachers: to attack a location or object persistently with artillery shells, bombs, or other projectiles.

- The air force began to bombard the enemy base early in the morning.
- During the final weeks of the siege, the heavy artillery continued to bombard the city walls until a breach was finally made.

### 2. to overwhelm with information

verb · CEFR B2

to give someone too much information, questions, or work all at once.

For teachers: to direct a high volume of questions, complaints, or information at someone in an overwhelming manner.

- Customers started to bombard the company with emails after the website crashed.
- Reporters began to bombard the spokesperson with aggressive questions regarding the recent policy shift before the press conference had even officially started.

### 3. scientific particles

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to hit a substance with a stream of very small particles.

For teachers: to direct a stream of high-energy particles, such as neutrons or electrons, at a target substance.

- Scientists bombard the atoms with neutrons to see how they react.
- In the particle accelerator, researchers bombard thin metallic foils with alpha particles to study the resulting nuclear scattering patterns.

### 4. historical cannon

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a very old, heavy type of cannon used in the past to break down walls.

For teachers: a medieval siege engine or primitive cannon designed to throw heavy stone balls at fortifications.

- The museum has a massive iron bombard used in the 15th century.
- The development of the bombard revolutionized siege warfare, rendering traditional stone fortifications increasingly vulnerable to heavy projectile impact.

## Examples

- The deep bombard of the train echoed through the valley.
- The rhythmic bombard of the factory machinery created a constant, low-frequency hum that was felt as much as it was heard.
- The poet uses the metaphor of a distant bombard to describe the steady, unrelenting pulse of the city's heartbeat, blending the mechanical with the organic.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.