bombshell
bomb·shell/ˈbɑmʃɛl/noun
bombshell is spelled B-O-M-B-S-H-E-L-L: 9 letters and 2 syllables (bomb·shell). It appears 1.4 times per million words in written English, the 23,835th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, bombshell means “Any grenade, mortar shell, or artillery shell (hollow metal object) containing a charge that can explode” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of bombshell is bombshells.
How many letters and syllables are in bombshell?
| Letters | 9: B-O-M-B-S-H-E-L-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: bomb·shell |
| In writing | 1.4 times per million words; the 23,835th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is bombshell?
Bombshell appears 1.4 times per million words in written English, the 23,835th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce bombshell?
- US /ˈbɑmʃɛl/
- UK /ˈbɒmʃɛl/
Bombshell has 2 syllables, split bomb·shell in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Rho9998-bombshell.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of bombshell
- bombshells plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bombshell mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Any grenade, mortar shell, or artillery shell (hollow metal object) containing a charge that can explode.
- 2
Something that is very surprising, shocking, amazing or sensational.
- 3
Someone who is very attractive; a sex symbol.
Diana Dors, the 1950s blonde bombshell
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bombshell in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | bombe, obus , surprise , avion de chasse |
| German | Bombe, Granate, Explosivgeschoss , Sexbombe |
| Portuguese | bomba, granada , sensação , avião |
| Spanish | bomba, bombazo , pibón, bombón |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does bombshell come from?
From bomb + shell.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).