Bombing — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈkär-pət-ˌbäm/ (verb) /ˈdīv-ˌbäm/ (verb)

Meaning & Definition of Bombing

Bombing (verb)

  1. to attack with or as if with bombs, bombard
  2. to defeat decisively
  3. to score many runs against (a pitcher)
  4. to drop large numbers of bombs so as to cause uniform devastation over (a given area)
  5. to bombard repeatedly, widely, or excessively
  6. to bomb from an airplane by making a steep dive toward the target before releasing the bomb
  7. to post a usually negative online review of (a product, business, etc.) especially as part of a coordinated campaign
  8. to attack by releasing delayed-action bombs from a low-flying airplane so that they skip along a land or water surface and strike a target

Bombing (noun)

  1. a surprise attack in which bombs are used
  2. the flooding of a website with usually negative reviews (as of a product or business)
  3. bombing in which a very large number of bombs are dropped to cover an entire area instead of being aimed at a specific target

Bombing (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in bombardment, air raid

    similar: air raid, bombardment, aggression, assault, attempt, blitz, blitzkrieg, charge, coup de main, descent, offense, offensive, onset, onslaught, raid, rush, strike, ambuscade, ambush, counteraggression, counterassault, counterattack, counteroffensive, counterstrike, sally, sortie, envelopment, flanking, breakthrough, foray, incursion, invasion, pillage, ravage, sack, siege, storm
    opposite: defense, defensive, guard, shield, opposition, resistance, protection, security, shelter

Bombing (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to attack with a rapid or overwhelming outpouring of many things at once

    "following the reporter's obscene outburst, viewers bombed the television station with an unprecedented number of complaints"

    similar: barraging, bombarding
    related: examining, grilling, interrogating, pumping, querying, questioning, quizzing, debriefing, cross-examining, catechizing, annoying, harassing, hounding, pestering, flooding, inundating

  2. to proceed or move quickly

    "skiers bombing down the slope vied for the coveted gold medal"

    similar: barreling, belting, blasting, blazing, blowing, bolting, bowling, breezing, bundling, bustling, buzzing, cannonballing, careening, careering, chasing, coursing, cracking (on), dashing, driving, flying, haring, hastening, highballing, hotfooting (it), humping, hurling, hurrying, hurtling, hustling, hying, jetting, jumping, motoring, nipping, pelting, racing, ramming, ripping, rocketing, running, rushing, rustling, scooting, scurrying, scuttling, shooting, speeding, stepping, tearing, traveling, trotting, whirling, whisking, zipping, zooming, beating it, getting a move on, making tracks, shaking a leg, stepping on it
    related: beetling, darting, flitting, scampering, scudding, scuffling, stampeding, streaking, whizzing, galloping, jogging, sprinting, accelerating, quickening, stepping out, catching up, fast-forwarding, outpacing, outrunning, outstripping, overtaking, arrowing, beelining
    opposite: crawling, creeping, poking
    near: dallying, dawdling, dillydallying, dragging, hanging (around or out), lagging, lingering, loitering, poking, tarrying, ambling, lumbering, plodding, sauntering, shuffling, strolling, decelerating, slowing (down or up)

  3. to be unsuccessful

    "the chichi restaurant bombed big-time, lasting only six months"

    similar: collapsing, cratering, failing, flaming out, flopping, flunking, folding, foundering, missing, striking out, tanking, washing out, coming a cropper, coming to grief, coming up empty, dying on the vine, falling flat, falling on one's face, falling short, laying an egg
    related: floundering, struggling, declining, sinking, skidding, slipping, slumping, waning, crashing, crumbling, miscarrying, misfiring, going under, imploding, self-destructing
    opposite: clicking, coming off, delivering, going, going over, panning out, succeeding, working out
    near: cooking, flourishing, prospering, thriving, prevailing, triumphing, winning

  4. to defeat by a large margin

    "it's no surprise that the inexperienced baseball team got totally bombed in its first game"

    similar: annihilating, blowing away, burying, clobbering, creaming, drubbing, dusting, flattening, pasting, routing, shellacking, skinning, skunking, smoking (slang), smothering, snowing under, thrashing, trimming, tromping, trouncing, walloping, waxing (slang), whipping, whomping, whopping, whupping, beating the pants off, eating alive, running circles around, wiping the floor with
    related: sweeping, upsetting, beating, besting, conquering, dispatching, hurdling, licking, mastering, overbearing, overcoming, overmatching, prevailing (over), subduing, surmounting, taking, throwing, triumphing (over), winning (against), worsting, crushing, knocking off, knocking over, overpowering, overthrowing, overwhelming, subjugating, upending, vanquishing, acing (out), bettering, eclipsing, exceeding, outdistancing, outdoing, outfighting, outshining, outstripping, overtopping, surpassing, topping, transcending, edging (out), nosing out, pipping (British), capping, excelling, flourishing, scoring, succeeding, breaking, destroying, doing in, finishing, sinking, slaughtering

  5. to use bombs or artillery against

    "the enemy has bombed the city again"

    similar: battering, blitzing, blitzkrieging, bombarding, cannonading, shelling
    related: enfilading, raking, strafing, assailing, assaulting, attacking, devastating, hitting, pounding, ravaging, striking

Related Entry: Bomb (verb)

Bomb is a different word from Bombing. The synonyms below are for bomb, not for bombing.

  1. to attack with a rapid or overwhelming outpouring of many things at once

    "following the reporter's obscene outburst, viewers bombed the television station with an unprecedented number of complaints"

    similar: barrage, bombard
    related: examine, grill, interrogate, pump, query, question, quiz, debrief, cross-examine, catechize, annoy, harass, hound, pester, flood, inundate

  2. to proceed or move quickly

    "skiers bombing down the slope vied for the coveted gold medal"

    similar: barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurry, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoom, beat it, get a move on, make tracks, shake a leg, step on it
    related: beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle, stampede, streak, whiz, gallop, jog, sprint, accelerate, quicken, step out, catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake, arrow, beeline
    opposite: crawl, creep, poke
    near: dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry, amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up)

  3. to be unsuccessful

    "the chichi restaurant bombed big-time, lasting only six months"

    similar: collapse, crater, fail, flame out, flop, flunk, fold, founder, miss, strike out, tank, wash out, come a cropper, come to grief, come up empty, die on the vine, fall flat, fall on one's face, fall short, lay an egg
    related: flounder, struggle, decline, sink, skid, slip, slump, wane, crash, crumble, miscarry, misfire, go under, implode, self-destruct
    opposite: click, come off, deliver, go, go over, pan out, succeed, work out
    near: cook, flourish, prosper, thrive, prevail, triumph, win

  4. to defeat by a large margin

    "it's no surprise that the inexperienced baseball team got totally bombed in its first game"

    similar: annihilate, blow away, bury, clobber, cream, drub, dust, flatten, paste, rout, shellac, skin, skunk, smoke (slang), smother, snow under, thrash, trim, tromp, trounce, wallop, wax (slang), whip, whomp, whop, whup, beat the pants off, eat alive, run circles around, wipe the floor with
    related: sweep, upset, beat, best, conquer, dispatch, hurdle, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), subdue, surmount, take, throw, triumph (over), win (against), worst, crush, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, overwhelm, subjugate, upend, vanquish, ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend, edge (out), nose out, pip (British), cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed, break, destroy, do in, finish, sink, slaughter

  5. to use bombs or artillery against

    "the enemy has bombed the city again"

    similar: batter, blitz, blitzkrieg, bombard, cannonade, shell
    related: enfilade, rake, strafe, assail, assault, attack, devastate, hit, pound, ravage, strike

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bombing

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bombing:

Slang: smoking, waxing
air raid, bombardment, aggression, assault, attempt, blitz, blitzkrieg, charge, coup de main, descent, offense, offensive, onset, onslaught, raid, rush, strike, ambuscade, ambush, counteraggression, counterassault, counterattack, counteroffensive, counterstrike, sally, sortie, envelopment, flanking, breakthrough, foray, incursion, invasion, pillage, ravage, sack, siege, storm, barraging, bombarding, barreling

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bombing

Words with the opposite meaning of Bombing:

defense, defensive, guard, shield, opposition, resistance, protection, security, shelter, crawling, creeping, poking, clicking, coming off, delivering, going, going over, panning out, succeeding, working out

Related Words for Bombing

examining, grilling, interrogating, pumping, querying, questioning, quizzing, debriefing, cross-examining, catechizing, annoying, harassing, hounding, pestering, flooding, inundating, beetling, darting, flitting, scampering, scudding, scuffling, stampeding, streaking, whizzing, galloping, jogging, sprinting, accelerating, quickening

Near Antonyms of Bombing

dallying, dawdling, dillydallying, dragging, hanging (around or out), lagging, lingering, loitering, tarrying, ambling, lumbering, plodding, sauntering, shuffling, strolling, decelerating, slowing (down or up), cooking, flourishing, prospering, thriving, prevailing, triumphing, winning

Word Forms of Bombing

Inflections: bombed, bombs, review bombings, review-bombings, carpet-bombed, carpet bombed, carpet-bombing, carpet bombing, carpet-bombs, carpet bombs, dive-bombed, dive-bombing, dive-bombs, review bombed, review-bombed, review bombing, review-bombing, review bombs, review-bombs, skip bombed, skip bombing, skip bombs

Derived words: bombing (noun), dive-bomber (noun), review bomb (noun), review bomber (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Bombing

derivative of bomb:1

First known use: 1688t

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Bombing

Words & Phrases Containing Bombing

bombing raid, review bombing, saturation bombing

Frequently Asked Questions about Bombing

What does "Bombing" mean?

"Bombing" means to attack with or as if with bombs, bombard. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to attack with or as if with bombs, bombard. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bombing"?

Other words for "Bombing" include air raid, bombardment, aggression, assault, attempt, blitz, blitzkrieg and charge. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bombing" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bombing"?

There are 273 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bombing". Common alternatives include air raid, bombardment, aggression, assault, attempt, blitz, blitzkrieg, charge, coup de main and descent.

What is the opposite of "Bombing"?

Antonyms of "Bombing" include defense, defensive, guard, shield, opposition, resistance, protection and security. Near antonyms include dallying, dawdling, dillydallying and dragging.

How do you use "Bombing" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bombing" in a sentence: "following the reporter's obscene outburst, viewers bombed the television station with an unprecedented number of complaints"; "skiers bombing down the slope vied for the coveted gold medal"; "the chichi restaurant bombed big-time, lasting only six months".

Is "Bombing" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bombing" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Bombing" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Bombing" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Bombing"?

"Bombing" is pronounced /ˈkär-pət-ˌbäm/ as a verb and /ˈdīv-ˌbäm/ as a verb.