What does "bombard" mean?
A medieval primitive cannon, used chiefly in sieges for throwing heavy stone balls.
Bombard
/ˈbɑmˌbɑɹd/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A medieval primitive cannon, used chiefly in sieges for throwing heavy stone balls.
- Grammar: bombard is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: bomb, accelerate, activate, aim at.
- Useful contrasts: defend, ignore, listen.
- Usage evidence: Brave men and women crossed thousands of miles to bombard innocent villagers in these remote mountains.
How to use "bombard"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bombard" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bombard" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bombard" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bombard" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bombard" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bomb" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bombard", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A medieval primitive cannon, used chiefly in sieges for throwing heavy stone balls.
"They planted in divers places twelve great bombards, wherewith they threw huge stones into the air, which, falling down into the city, might break down the houses."
- 2 a large shawm; the bass member of the shawm family wordnet
- 3 A bassoon-like medieval musical instrument. obsolete
- 4 A large liquor container made of leather, in the form of a jug or a bottle. obsolete
"[…] yond same black cloud, yond huge one, / looks like a foul bombard that would shed his liquor."
- 5 A bombardment. poetic, rare
"With mines and parallels contracts the space; Then bids the battering floats his labors crown And pour their bombard on the shuddering town"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A bombardon.
Verb
- 1 To continuously attack something with bombs, artillery shells or other missiles or projectiles.
"The enemy's stronghold was bombarded for 3 hours straight."
- 2 direct high energy particles or radiation against wordnet
- 3 To attack something or someone by directing objects at them. figuratively
"My correspondent, who was riding in the first coach, comments that the small standard tender did not take kindly to this gay progress, and signified its disapproval from time to time by bombarding the train with lumps of coal!"
- 4 address with continuously or persistently, as if with a barrage wordnet
- 5 To continuously send or direct (at someone) figuratively
"I was bombarded with WhatsApp messages after appearing on the news."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 throw bombs at or attack with bombs wordnet
- 7 To direct at a substance an intense stream of high-energy particles, usually sub-atomic or made of at most a few atoms.
- 8 cast, hurl, or throw repeatedly with some missile wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from French.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Brave men and women crossed thousands of miles to bombard innocent villagers in these remote mountains."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bombard"?
Common synonyms include: bomb, accelerate, activate, aim at, assail, assault.
How do you use "bombard" in a sentence?
Brave men and women crossed thousands of miles to bombard innocent villagers in these remote mountains.
How do you pronounce "bombard"?
Pronounced /ˈbɑmˌbɑɹd/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English bombard, from Middle French bombarde (“a bombard, mortar, catapult"; also "a bassoon-like musical instrument”), from Latin bombus (“buzzing; booming”). The modern pronunciation is from modern French bombarde.
Etymology 2
From French bombarder, from Middle French bombarde (“a bombard”).