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. )

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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

Football fans were shown a "constant bombardment" of advertisements promoting junk food and drinks during matches at the 2026 Fifa World Cup, according to a new study.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

That plan included a suspension of "all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment".

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

A few minutes before the strike, the 35-year-old attendant had closed the station because of the risk of bombardment.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

Kofman said a bombardment campaign, however, is unlikely to affect what happens on the front.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 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

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Related Words

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

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