bombshell

English

Etymology

From bomb +‎ shell.

Pronunciation

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Noun

bombshell (plural bombshells)

2. (historical) Any grenade, mortar shell, or artillery shell (hollow metal object) containing a charge that can explode.

   Synonym: bomb (in historical sense)

3. (figurative) Something that is very surprising, shocking, amazing or sensational.
   • 2010, Naomi Oreskes, Erik M. Conway, chapter 5, in Merchants of Doubt:

     Singer and Jeffreys had focused their attention on cancer risk, but the bombshell of the report was the danger to children.

   • 2025 February 6, Taylor Luck, Ghada Abdulfattah, “How Trump’s proposed plan for Gaza has united an outraged Arab world”, in The Christian Science Monitor:

     U.S. President Donald Trump’s bombshell proposal to take over the Gaza Strip and relocate its Palestinian inhabitants has made the forced transfer of populations – a war crime – a policy discussion, galvanizing Arab states.

4. (by extension) Someone who is very attractive; a sex symbol.

   Diana Dors, the 1950s blonde bombshell

   • 2021 May 4, Ruth La Ferla, “On That Bombshell Billie Eilish Cover for British Vogue”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     The singer once identified by her shock of green hair has gone blonde and full bombshell, swapping her trademark sweats for a style more domme than deb: pink Gucci corset and skirt over Agent Provocateur skivvies, accessorized with latex gloves and leggings.

Derived terms

• blonde bombshell
• drop a bombshell

Translations

a bomb or artillery shell designed to explode on impact

• Belarusian: бо́мба f (bómba), знара́д m (znarád)
• Bulgarian: бо́мба f (bómba), снаря́д (bg) m (snarjád)
• Catalan: bomba (ca) f, obús m
• French: bombe (fr) f, obus (fr) m
• German: Bombe (de) f, Granate (de) f (artillery), Explosivgeschoss n
• Greek: οβίδα (el) f (ovída)
• Icelandic: sprengja (is) f, sprengikúla f
• Italian: bomba (it) f, granata (it) f
• Persian: خمپاره (fa) (xompâre)
• Polish: pocisk (pl) m
• Portuguese: bomba (pt) f, granada (pt) f
• Russian: бо́мба (ru) f (bómba), снаря́д (ru) m (snarjád)
• Spanish: bomba (es) f, bombazo (es) m
• Tajik: хумпора (xumpora)
• Ukrainian: бо́мба (uk) f (bómba), снаря́д m (snarjád)
• Welsh: tân-belen f

something that is very surprising, shocking, amazing or sensational

• Finnish: pommi (fi)
• French: surprise (fr) f, bombe (fr) f (colloquial)
• German: Bombe (de)
• Icelandic: óvænt atvik n, (thunder from a clear sky) þruma úr heiðskíru lofti f, stórviðburður m, æsifréttaefni n, æsifregn (is) f
• Italian: notizia clamorosa f
• Polish: sensacja (pl) f
• Portuguese: bomba (pt) f, sensação (pt) f
• Russian: сенса́ция (ru) f (sensácija), бо́мба (ru) f (bómba)
• Spanish: bombazo (es) m
• Welsh: taranfollt m or f

someone who is very attractive

• Finnish: seksipommi (fi), povipommi (fi)
• French: bombe (fr) f (slang), avion de chasse (fr) m, bonnasse (fr) f
• German: Sexbombe (de) f, Granate (de) f
• Greek: σεξοβόμβα f (sexovómva)
• Hungarian: bombázó (hu), szexbomba (hu)
• Icelandic: kynbomba f
• Irish: leadhb f, bean bhreá, spéirbhean f, stumpa m
• Italian: schianto (it) m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: sexbombe m or f

• Polish: seksbomba (pl) f
• Portuguese: avião (pt)
• Russian: секс-бо́мба (ru) f (sɛks-bómba)
• Spanish: pibón (es) m, bombón (es) m
• Swedish: bombnedslag (sv) n, sexbomb (sv) c