rocket science

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Noun

rocket science (uncountable)

1. The science or study of rockets and their design.
2. (idiomatic) Anything overly complex, detailed or confusing.

   It's not rocket science. Just screw in the bulb and flip the switch.

Usage notes

(anything overly complex, detailed or confusing): This phrase is usually used in a negative comparison, as in the example above (not rocket science) to show that something is (or should be) simple, straightforward, or obvious.

Synonyms

• (anything overly complex, detailed or confusing): brain surgery

Translations

anything overly complex (idiomatic)

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 高深的事 (gāoshēn de shì)

• Danish: raketvidenskab c
• Dutch: hogere wiskunde f
• Finnish: rakettitiede (fi)
• French: physique quantique (fr) f

• German: Raketenwissenschaft f, Hexenwerk n
• Hungarian: atomfizika (hu)
• Polish: czarna magia (pl) f
• Portuguese: bicho de sete cabeças (pt)
• Russian: бино́м Ньюто́на m (binóm Nʹjutóna) (Newton binomial)

See also

• (anything overly complex, detailed or confusing):
  • no-brainer (idiom)
• (the study and science of rocketry):
  • astrodynamics
  • astronautics