Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Something, such as a film or book, that sustains widespread popularity and achieves enormous sales.
- noun A large, powerful bomb used especially in air raids on cities.
- noun One that engages in the practice of blockbusting.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A high-explosive
bomb used for the purposes of demolishing extensive areas, such as acity block. - noun Something, such as a
film orbook , that sustains exceptional and widespread popularity and achieves enormous sales, as opposed to abox office bomb . - noun A large
firecracker type offireworks ; an M-80. - adjective An exceptional event.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a large bomb used to demolish extensive areas (as a city block)
- noun an unusually successful hit with widespread popularity and huge sales (especially a movie or play or recording or novel)
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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The term blockbuster was first coined during World War II to describe bombs that would blow up buildings.
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The term blockbuster deal is casually thrown around these days but if the reports are true, the proposed Carmelo Anthony trade, which involves 18 players and three teams fits the bill rather robustly.
Thestar.com - Home Page Toronto Star Staff 2011
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Abrams takes the term blockbuster seriously here by amping up the thrills and generously peppering in humor and enough heart to actually want to follow the adventures of this crew for many more films to come.
Ain't It Cool News - The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news. Ambush Bug 2009
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Abrams takes the term blockbuster seriously here by amping up the thrills and generously peppering in humor and enough heart to actually want to follow the adventures of this crew for many more films to come.
Ain't It Cool News - The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news. 2009
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The blockbuster is excess personified, or at least dramatized, put center stage in order to thrill and awe its audience.
Blockbusters and the Tao Te Ching « Tales from the Reading Room 2010
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Beside a good old fashionned blockbuster is good once in a while ...
Bang Bang, Bang Bang SVGL 2009
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Alan Walden also managed to secure places for “Freebird” and “Sweet Home Alabama” in blockbuster hit “Forrest Gump”.
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Add in blockbuster crossovers like A Hard Day's Night, in which Lennon led his Liverpool mates across the pond, who in turn made multimedia history and incited mass hysteria wherever they went.
Scott Thill: John Lennon: Working Class Mythmaker Scott Thill 2010
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Alan Walden also managed to secure places for “Freebird” and “Sweet Home Alabama” in blockbuster hit “Forrest Gump”.
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Add in blockbuster crossovers like A Hard Day's Night, in which Lennon led his Liverpool mates across the pond, who in turn made multimedia history and incited mass hysteria wherever they went.
Scott Thill: John Lennon: Working Class Mythmaker Scott Thill 2010
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