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
-
bombardedsimple
-
had bombardedperfect
-
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.
See Examples For:
‘I’ve plenty of time on my hands’: Advisers bombard me with offers of free steak dinners.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
Deming goes old school to distort Reilly’s focus and bombard him with harsh spotlights.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Increasingly, we do so at our own peril, retreating into screens that bombard us with ever more fearsome stories of others, which causes us to retreat even further.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
Most organs and tissues now seem to bombard each other with a huge variety of molecular messages.
From Science Magazine ● May 22, 2024
Their primary goal was to bombard uranium to obtain sufficient plutonium for study.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Unlike Delta, which bombards premium travelers with what-to-expect emails ahead of their flight, JetBlue was notably silent about its Mint perks after I booked in mid-February.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
Without this invisible barrier, Earth would be exposed to the same constant stream of charged particles that bombards other planets in our solar system, such as Mars, making life there far more difficult.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2025
Schools pile on homework, extracurricular activities consume evenings, and social media bombards us with comparisons to seemingly perfect families.
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2024
The Sun bombards Earth with a tremendous amount of energy, and the vast majority of it is reflected or quickly re-emitted as infrared heat.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 4, 2024
Imam Malik looks helpless as our class bombards him with questions.
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
Maria met the scammer impersonating Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed, also known by his pen name Fazza, on a dating site before the conversation moved to a messaging app where he bombarded her with romantic messages.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
She believes that Steyer hit a ceiling because voters who are bombarded by ads eventually feel that the candidate is trying to purchase their affection.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Newly appointed Michelle Welsh, Labour MP for Sherwood Forest, has written to the owner of Facebook and Instagram, urging them to better protect users from being bombarded with unwanted ads.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
“It’s the industry’s fault for being too vocal, for beating the drum on Roth conversions. Consumers are just bombarded with conversion, conversion, conversion,” Panko said.
From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026
All five senses were bombarded by the frenetic activity of the shopkeepers in the medina as I walked to school every morning through the winding streets of the old city.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Ecuador, which finished second in the South American World Cup qualifiers, put up a strong fight, bombarding the Mexican team with crosses, albeit without much organization.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
As diplomats wrangle for a breakthrough in what has been Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II, Russia has continued to press forward with its assault, bombarding Ukraine daily.
From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026
That can be done as simply as bombarding a drone or rocket with signals that drown out the connection to their operator or satellite guidance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 7, 2026
With TikTok and Instagram reels constantly bombarding you with ads and influencer promotions, it’s hard not to feel like you’re missing out if you’re not buying the latest products and keeping up with the Joneses.
From Salon ● Feb. 17, 2025
My mother let me get ten steps inside the front door before bombarding me with questions.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
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.
