German word

bombardieren

Pronunciation

IPA/bɔmbaɐ̯ˈdiːʁən/

Meaning

  • verbbomb

Example

Die Stadt wurde stark bombardiert.

The city was heavily bombed.

Illustration for bombardieren (bomb)

More examples

Die Fans bombardierten die Band mit Anfragen.

The fans bombarded the band with inquiries.

Core concept

A target is hit again and again, either by shells from outside or by a heavy stream of messages and questions.

Common phrases

  • jemanden mit Fragen bombardieren

    bombard someone with questions

  • die Stadt bombardieren

    bomb the city

  • mit E-Mails bombardieren

    bombard with emails

Similar words

angreifen: To launch a forceful attack against someone or something.
beschießen: To keep firing at a target with artillery or machine guns.
überfluten: To overwhelm someone with a large amount of information or other input.
zumüllen: To fill someone's space or inbox with unwanted items or messages.

Definition in German

Bomben oder Artillerie gegen jemanden einsetzen; übertragen: jemanden durch eine Flut von Dingen oder Nachrichten überwältigen

Word origin

German bombardieren was borrowed through French bombarder from Italian bombardare, a verb associated with the bombarda, an early cannon.

Usage tips

  • As a verb ending in -ieren, bombardieren is nonseparable and its past participle is bombardiert, without ge-.

Other meanings

  • shellverb
  • bombardverb
  • assailverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Bombardierungbombardmentnoun
  • Bombardementbombardmentnoun
  • bombardiertbombardedadjective

Word lists with this word