bombardment

American  

[bom-bahrd-muhnt] / bɒmˈbɑrd mənt /

noun

1. a continuous or sustained attack, as with bombs or artillery fire.

   The rebel attacks were followed by government counterattacks that included airstrikes and artillery bombardment.

   The moon’s surface bears the scars of countless impact craters caused by the asteroid bombardment it has suffered over the eons.

2. an overwhelming quantity or barrage of something.

   We are all fed up with the incessant preelection bombardment of campaign mailers.

   Entering the stadium, you are immediately hit with a sensory bombardment: the buzz and crackle of massive television monitors, the smell of over-priced hotdogs and nachos.

3. Physics. the act or action of directing particles or radiation against something, such as a nucleus.

   In a conventional cathode-ray tube, the inside coating of the faceplate emits light in response to electron bombardment.

   Neutron bombardment of the uranium in the fuel converts some of it to plutonium, which is fissionable.

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Etymology

Origin of bombardment

bombard ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

Explanation

When a lot of bombs fall on a city or area, it is a bombardment. But a bombardment can also mean a pummeling with lots of other things: questions, spit balls, or e-mails. During the early stages of a war, the capital city of the country under attack may suffer a severe bombardment meant to bring on a quick surrender. If there are many casualties or the citizens of the country are treated brutally by the occupying force, military officials may find themselves under a bombardment of questions and accusations about how the war was handled.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bombardment

Terekh grew up in Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, and from her children's home in Saltivka -- a district now among the areas hardest hit by Russian bombardment -- she could see Belgorod in Russia.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

"While often considered catastrophic in the context of dinosaur extinction, impact bombardment was also likely critical for creating environments for prebiotic chemistry."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026

The country's state news agency had earlier described the overnight bombardment across the Nabatieh district on Thursday as one of the most intense of the war.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

Gulf countries also broadly support the effort, though they worry the U.S. could disengage before security concerns raised by Iran’s bombardment of the region during the war are addressed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026

We issued forth upon the quarterdeck, and were treated to our first sight of the bombardment.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• assault
• attack
• blitz
• bombing
• onslaught
• shelling