blockbuster

See also: Blockbuster

English

Etymology

block +‎ buster

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈblɒkˌbʌstə(ɹ)/

Noun

blockbuster (plural 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.
3. (slang) Anything very large or powerful; a whopper.
   • 1998, Yves Beauchemin, The Second Fiddle (page 383)

     “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?"

4. A large firework of the firecracker type; an M-80.
5. (US) One who engages in blockbusting (technique encouraging people to sell property).
   • 2016, Sabiyha Prince, African Americans and Gentrification in Washington, D.C. (page 106)

     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.

Descendants

• → German: Blockbuster

Translations

high-explosive bomb

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 巨型炸彈, 巨型炸弹 (jùxíng zhàdàn)

• Faroese: karrébumba f
• Finnish: korttelipommi
• German: Luftmine (de) f, Minenbombe f, Wohnblockknacker m

• Japanese: ブロックバスター (burokubasutā)
• Kyrgyz: эң кубаттуу фугас бомба (ky) f (eñ kubattuu fugas bomba)
• Russian: фуга́сная бо́мба f (fugásnaja bómba)
• Spanish: bombazo m
• Swedish: kvartersbomb

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

• Bulgarian: блокбъ̀стър m (blokbǎ̀stǎr)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 巨片 (jùpiān), 大片 (zh) (dàpiān), 風靡一時的事物, 风靡一时的事物 (fēngmí yīshí de shìwù)

• Czech: trhák m
• Dutch: kaskraker (nl) m
• Faroese: metsølufilmur m (film), metsølubók f (book)
• Finnish: jymymenestys
• French: blockbuster (fr) m
• German: Blockbuster (de) m, Verkaufsschlager m, Kassenknüller m, Knüller (de) m, Hit (de) m, Kassenschlager (de) m, Renner (de) m, Bestseller (de) m (book), Straßenfeger (de) m (TV movie, dated)
• Hungarian: kasszasiker (hu), bombasiker (hu), rendkívül sikeres mű

• Italian: successo commerciale m
• Japanese: ブロックバスター (burokubasutā)
• Korean: 블록버스터 (beullokbeoseuteo)
• Kyrgyz: блокбастер (ky) m (blokbaster)
• Portuguese: arrasa-quarteirão (pt) m
• Russian: блокба́стер (ru) m (blokbástɛr)
• Spanish: taquillazo m, bombazo m
• Swedish: knallsucce
• Ukrainian: блокба́стер m (blokbáster)

large firecracker type of fireworks

Related terms

• blockbust (verb form)
• block
• bust

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French

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

blockbuster m (plural blockbusters)

1. blockbuster (film)

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Spanish

Noun

blockbuster m (plural blockbusters)

1. blockbuster (film)