blockbuster

American  

[blok-buhs-ter] / ˈblɒkˌbʌs tər /

noun

blockbusters plural

1. an aerial bomb containing high explosives and weighing from four to eight tons, used as a large-scale demolition bomb.

2. a motion picture, novel, etc., especially one lavishly produced, that has or is expected to have wide popular appeal or financial success.

3. something or someone that is forcefully or overwhelmingly impressive, effective, or influential.

   The campaign was a blockbuster.

4. a real-estate speculator who practices blockbusting.

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blockbuster British  

/ ˈblɒkˌbʌstə /

noun

1. a large bomb used to demolish extensive areas or strengthened targets

2. a very successful, effective, or forceful person, thing, etc

3. a lavish film, show, novel, etc, that proves to be an outstanding popular success

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• blockbusters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of blockbuster

First recorded in 1940–45; block + buster

Explanation

A blockbuster is a Hollywood movie that's made with a large budget and big stars. A true blockbuster is extremely popular and brings in a lot of money. Typically, a blockbuster is a fabulous summer movie that audiences line up to see the first weekend it's released. You can also call a successful play or a new, popular video game a blockbuster. Less, often, a huge bomb is a blockbuster — this is the word's original, 1940s meaning, from the fact that such a bomb could destroy an entire city block. The entertainment meaning, from the 1950s, began as theater slang.

Example Sentences

World football's governing body said it wanted to ensure the four top-ranked countries could not meet earlier in the knockout rounds, thus potentially saving blockbuster games for later in the tournament.

From BBC • Jul. 12, 2026

The "Oppenheimer" and "The Dark Knight" director is promoting his latest blockbuster, an adaptation of the Greek epic "The Odyssey".

From Barron's • Jul. 10, 2026

And just like she promises in my summer staple, Bonnie Tyler’s huge choruses and blockbuster anthems will be ravishing us until the end of this endless night.

From Salon • Jul. 9, 2026

Analyst target prices on SpaceX flooded in Tuesday after the end of a mandated quiet period in the wake of its blockbuster IPO.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026

“Yes, it’s a blockbuster, coming to a theater near you, called Deal with Your Own Crap.”

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali