bombard
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
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the earliest kind of cannon, originally throwing stone balls.
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Nautical. bomb ketch.
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an English leather tankard of the 18th century and earlier, similar to but larger than a blackjack.
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Obsolete. a leather jug.
verb
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to attack with concentrated artillery fire or bombs
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to attack with vigour and persistence
the boxer bombarded his opponent with blows to the body
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to attack verbally, esp with questions
the journalists bombarded her with questions
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physics to direct high-energy particles or photons against (atoms, nuclei, etc) esp to produce ions or nuclear transformations
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bombardsimple
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bombardssimple
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have bombardedperfect
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has bombardedperfect
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am bombardingprogressive
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are bombardingprogressive
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is bombardingprogressive
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have been bombardingperfect progressive
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has been bombardingperfect progressive
Past
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bombardedsimple
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had bombardedperfect
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was bombardingprogressive
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were bombardingprogressive
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had been bombardingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bombard
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English (noun), Medieval Latin bombarda “stone-throwing engine” ( Latin bomb(us) “booming noise” + -arda noun suffix); see bomb, -ard
Explanation
To bombard is to attack, whether physically (with something like missiles) or metaphorically (with something like questions). See the word bomb in bombard? That's a clue to its meaning. When a place is bombarded, an enemy could literally be dropping bombs on it. In the days of stoning, people were bombarded with rocks. A politician getting pestered with questions is also being bombarded. You could say a teacher who assigns a lot of homework is bombarding the class with assignments. Bombarding involves a series of attacks; one bomb or one question can't be described as a bombardment.
Vocabulary lists containing bombard
Save Me a Seat
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Metamorphosis
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Vocabulary from the Second Presidential Debate: October 9, 2016
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bombard is the 3-1 second choice for Richard Mandella and Prat.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2019
“I wish it was like that every day. I’m always watching the weather, looking for storms,” Mr. Bombard said.
From New York Times • Mar. 16, 2018
The company is building a 25,000-square-foot addition just four years after breaking ground on its first 12,000-square-foot building at 7 Bombard Court.
From Washington Times • Jun. 13, 2015
Bombard billions of malaria parasites with drugs and the creatures will evolve progeny that can withstand them.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2010
Gamba and our Bombard are taken into Patras, I suppose, and we must take a turn at the Turks to get them out.
From The Life of Lord Byron by Galt, John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
