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In the late Middle Ages, a bombard was a cannon used to hurl large stones at enemy fortifications. Its name, which first appeared in English in the 15th century, comes from the Middle French bombarde, which in turn was probably a combination of the onomatopoeic bomb- and the suffix -arde (equivalent to the English -ard). The verb bombard blasted onto the scene in English in the 17th century, with an original meaning of "to attack especially with artillery"; as weapons technology improved throughout the centuries, such artillery came to include things like automatic rifles and bomber aircraft. Nowadays one can be bombarded figuratively in any number of ways, such as by omnipresent advertising messages or persistent phone calls.
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Examples of bombard in a Sentence
Expert Panel®, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
In addition to the presidential candidates’ omnipresence, voters in the state are bombarded by mailers, ads on television, radio and social media, and canvassers knocking on their doors.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
In New York, we get bombarded with barbs by local pols.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
Pennsylvania voters have been bombarded with political ads and messaging in the run-up to Election Day, creating an environment ripe for misinformation to spread.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Bombard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bombard. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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