thunderbolt

[ thuhn-der-bohlt ]

noun

1. a flash of lightning with the accompanying thunder.
2. an imaginary bolt or dart conceived as the material destructive agent cast to earth in a flash of lightning:

   the thunderbolts of Jove.

3. something very destructive, terrible, severe, sudden, or startling.
4. a person who acts with fury or with sudden and irresistible force.

thunderbolt

/ ˈθʌndəˌbəʊlt /

noun

1. a flash of lightning accompanying thunder
2. the imagined agency of destruction produced by a flash of lightning
3. (in mythology) the destructive weapon wielded by several gods, esp the Greek god Zeus See also Thor
4. something very startling

Word History and Origins

Origin of thunderbolt¹

First recorded in 1400–50, thunderbolt is from late Middle English thondre bolte. See thunder, bolt ¹

Example Sentences

Trump also survived a gunshot that could have taken his life, and a little more than a week later absorbed another thunderbolt — President Biden’s departure from the race.

From Los Angeles Times

It sent a thunderbolt of fear down Asian and minority communities.

From BBC

For me, it was a thunderbolt of thrill followed by pure abject terror that we might disappoint or “not have something good for her.”

From Los Angeles Times

This tension will define the Democratic reaction if a Manhattan jury indeed convicts Mr. Trump in the coming days, an outcome that could land like a thunderbolt for the nation’s news media and political class.

From New York Times

He drove fast Corvettes and owned multiple properties, plus a 42-foot yacht called Thunderbolt.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• amazement
• astonishment
• awe
• bewilderment
• consternation
• curiosity
• disappointment
• jolt
• miracle
• revelation
• shock
• wonder