blockbuster

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blockbuster

  • /ˈblɒkˌbʌs.tə(ɹ)/ UK
  • /ˈblɑkˌbʌs.tɚ/ US

Where it comes from

From block + buster, referring originally to aerial bombs capable of destroying a whole block of buildings.

noun blockbusters

  1. A high-explosive bomb used for the purposes of demolishing extensive areas, such as a city block.
  2. informal Something, such as a film or book, that sustains exceptional and widespread popularity and achieves enormous sales, as opposed to a box office bomb. He was watching the blockbuster film series Harry Potter.
  3. informal Something, especially an event or a film, book or other creative work, that is intended to achieve high sales (perhaps indicated by large budgets or high advertising spending) or that is conceived on a large or epic scale "General William Booth Enters into Heaven" is lusty, a blockbuster conception.
  4. slang Anything very large or powerful; a whopper. “How nice," she responded to his invitation, “but I've got a blockbuster of a headache. I'm paying for last night. Call me tomorrow, will you?"
  5. A large firework of the firecracker type; an M-80.
  6. US One who engages in blockbusting (technique encouraging people to sell property). Whereas White residents fell prey to blockbusters who stoked fears of invading Negroes and plummeting housing values during the 1950s, African Americans confronted more-than-imagined difficulties in neighborhoods after the 1968 riots.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: bomb, explosive, plastique, success, major, blast, cluster bomb, potentite, buster, brick-buster, blaster, clusterbomb, mother bomb, superblast, bombing, bunker buster

Translations

Every language

noun high-explosive bomb

Españolbombazo
日本語ブロックバスター burokubasutā
中文巨型炸彈 /巨型炸弹 jùxíng zhàdàn
DeutschLuftmine, Minenbombe, Wohnblockknacker
Русскийфуга́сная бо́мба fugásnaja bómba

noun film or book, that sustains exceptional and widespread popularity and achieves enormous sales

Españoltaquillazo, bombazo, blockbuster, superventas
한국어블록버스터 beullokbeoseuteo
日本語ブロックバスター burokubasutā
中文巨片 jùpiān, 大片 dàpiān, 風靡一時的事物 /风靡一时的事物 fēngmí yīshí de shìwù
हिन्दीब्लॉकबस्टर blŏkbasṭar
Portuguêsarrasa-quarteirão
Françaisblockbuster
DeutschBlockbuster, Verkaufsschlager, Kassenknüller, Knüller, Hit, Kassenschlager
Italianosuccesso commerciale
Ελληνικάμπλοκμπάστερ blokmpáster
Русскийблокба́стер blokbástɛr
Tiếng Việtbom tấn
العربيةبْلُوكْبَاسْتَر blūkbāstar

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MLA

"blockbuster." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/blockbuster. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

blockbuster. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/blockbuster

Chicago

"blockbuster." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/blockbuster.

BibTeX
@misc{blockbuster_2026,
  title = {blockbuster},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/blockbuster},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}