English Reference

Word

bulletproof

Phoneticsbul·let·proof

US/ˈbʊɫətˌpɹuf/

UK/bˈʊlɪtpɹˌuːf/

Definitions

01stopping bullets

B2

adj. made of a strong material that stops bullets from passing through it.

adj. capable of withstanding a direct shot from a firearm without being penetrated.

“The security guards wore bulletproof vests for protection during the transport.”

“The diplomatic vehicle was fitted with bulletproof glass and reinforced plating to ensure the safety of the officials during transit through the conflict zone.”

Synonyms

ballistic-resistantarmoured

02impossible to fail

B2

adj. so well-planned or strong that it cannot be broken, criticized, or defeated.

adj. infallible or robust; resistant to failure, error, or external criticism.

“She presented a bulletproof argument that convinced the entire board.”

“The legal team spent months building a bulletproof case, ensuring that every piece of evidence was verified and every loophole closed.”

Informal

Antonyms

03to make resistant to failure

C1

v. to improve a plan or a piece of software so that it will not fail.

v. to reinforce a system, plan, or process against potential failure or error.

“We need to bulletproof the new app before we release it to the public.”

“The engineers worked through the weekend to bulletproof the server architecture against the expected surge in traffic during the product launch.”

Informal · Technical

Usage

Often used in business or software development contexts.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Etymology

From bullet + proof, compounded in English during the nineteenth-century vogue for garments advertised as “pistol-proof” or “shot-proof” before the more business-like “bullet” supplanted the older synonym.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference