bombshell
pronunciation
How to pronounce bombshell in British English:
UK [ˈbɒmʃel]
How to pronounce bombshell in American English:
US [ˈbɑmʃel]
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- Noun:
- an entertainer who has a sensational effect
- a shocking surprise
- an explosive bomb or artillery shell
Word Origin
- bombshell (n.)
- 1708, from bomb (n.) + shell (n.). The figurative sense of "shattering or devastating thing or event" attested from 1860. In reference to a pretty woman (especially a blonde) it is attested from 1942 ("Bombshell" as title of a movie starring blond U.S. actress Jean Harlow (1911-1937) is from 1933).
Example
- 1. The news was , somehow , a bombshell and no surprise whatsoever .
- 2. Financescan swing wildly , creating an alimony boon or a bombshell should one partnereventually want a divorce .
- 3. In a company that built its ethos and pay structure on hiring the best and being the best , the surprise news that goldman stood accused of securities fraud was a bombshell .
- 4. That policy has " removed a potential bombshell from the sino-japanese relationship , " said zhou yongsheng of the china foreign affairs university .
- 5. China dropped a bombshell last saturday when it announced the end of its two-year peg to the dollar and in the process it seemed to eliminate the risk that the battle over its exchange rate would escalate into a trade war .