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

The cease-fire will bring immediate relief to Lebanon, where an Israeli invasion and bombardment has left more than 2,000 dead and over a million displaced.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The vast majority surveyed said they believed neither Iran nor Hezbollah in Lebanon had been severely weakened by the recent US and Israeli bombardment.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Some in the Iranian capital feared the ceasefire will come to naught, but others declared victory and most breathed a sigh of relief after weeks of bombardment.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

The Moon has endured constant bombardment over its 4.5 billion year history.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026

If element 94 was to be found, it could be found only through the intense and repeated bombardment of uranium—and the only machine capable of reaching the required energies was the sixty-inch cyclotron.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

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