blockbuster
nounUK /ˈblɒkˌbʌs.tə(ɹ)/ · US /ˈblɑkˌbʌs.tɚ/
Etymology From block + buster, referring originally to aerial bombs capable of destroying a whole block of buildings.
A high-explosive bomb used for the purposes of demolishing extensive areas, such as a city block.
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.
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.1961, “Ives”, in Twentieth Century Music In The Western Hemisphere, J. B. Lippincott, page 146:
- The report noted that 'an increasing public appetite for large "blockbuster" musicals is a firmly established feature of London’s West End theatre scene'.1994, “Drama”, in Whitaker's Almanack, 1994, page 1135:
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?"1998, Yves Beauchemin, The Second Fiddle, page 383:
- Many—such as plants' relationships with mycorrhizal fungi—have been blockbuster moments in the history of life, with world-changing consequences.2020, Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life, page 211:
2 more examples
- In the mid-2021 economy, employers are offering higher pay to attract scarce workers; airports and car lots are bustling; and a G.D.P. report due out next week will probably show blockbuster growth.2021 July 21, Neil Irwin, “Is the U.S. Economy Too Hot or Too Cold? Yes.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 23 Jul 2021:
- The trove of documents from half a dozen federal agencies in recent days are a direct result of a blockbuster Supreme Court decision last month that allowed the administration to develop plans for ending birthright citizenship – even though the effort has once again been placed on hold.2025 July 28, Devan Cole, John Fritze, Priscilla Alvarez, “New documents show how passport and Social Security rules would change to enforce Trump’s birthright citizenship order”, in CNN:
A large firework of the firecracker type; an M-80.
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.2016, Sabiyha Prince, African Americans and Gentrification in Washington, D.C., page 106:
- Derived terms
- blockbuster drug, blockbusterish, blockbusterize, bonkbuster, knockbuster, megablockbuster, mockbuster, nonblockbuster, schlockbuster
- Related terms
- block, blockbust, bunker buster, bust, dambuster