thunderbolt

American  

[thuhn-der-bohlt] / ˈθʌn dərˌboʊlt /

noun

1. a flash of lightning with the accompanying thunder.

2. an imaginary bolt or dart conceived as the material destructive agent cast to earth in a flash of lightning.

   the thunderbolts of Jove.

3. something very destructive, terrible, severe, sudden, or startling.

4. a person who acts with fury or with sudden and irresistible force.

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thunderbolt British  

/ ˈθʌndəˌbəʊlt /

noun

1. a flash of lightning accompanying thunder

2. the imagined agency of destruction produced by a flash of lightning

3. (in mythology) the destructive weapon wielded by several gods, esp the Greek god Zeus See also Thor

4. something very startling

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Etymology

Origin of thunderbolt

First recorded in 1400–50, thunderbolt is from late Middle English thondre bolte. See thunder, bolt ¹

Example Sentences

Ermedin Demirovic unleashed a thunderbolt in the 90th minute to send Stuttgart into the top four with a 1-0 home win over Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

While sticking Cillo into a varsity game would attract a thunderbolt of attention, Clark has been waiting for an appropriate moment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

For me, it was a thunderbolt of thrill followed by pure abject terror that we might disappoint or “not have something good for her.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2024

The higher-for-longer inflation predicament has hit the U.S. housing market like a thunderbolt.

From New York Times • Apr. 12, 2024

He was Lord of the Sky, the Rain-god and the Cloud-gatherer, who wielded the awful thunderbolt.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Related Words

• amazement
• astonishment
• awe
• bewilderment
• consternation
• curiosity
• disappointment
• jolt
• miracle
• revelation
• shock
• wonder