blockbuster
BLOK-bus-ter
/ˈblɒkˌbʌs.tər/
A film, book, or other entertainment product that is huge, highly popular, and financially successful.
Implies massive budget, wide commercial appeal, and huge box office sales rather than delicate artistic nuance.
The story behind the word. Originally WWII military slang for aerial bombs strong enough to destroy an entire city block. By the early 1950s, American newspapers began using it to describe theatrical plays and films whose lines stretched around city blocks.
Word relationships
- hit: Hit refers broadly to anything popular, whereas blockbuster specifically implies massive commercial scale and scale of public reaction.
- megahit: Megahit is an informal synonym emphasizing vast popularity.
- flop: A project that fails completely at the box office or commercially.
- indie film: A low-budget independent film created outside major commercial studio systems.
Commonly confused with
- bestseller: Bestseller applies primarily to books, while blockbuster applies heavily to high-grossing movies.
Word family
- blockbusting (adjective): Extremely successful or effective.
Collocations
- summer blockbuster
- blockbuster hit
- blockbuster movie
- blockbuster budget
Example sentences
- "The summer blockbuster grossed over one billion dollars worldwide within its first three weeks." Box Office
- "Studios often rely on blockbuster franchises to subsidize riskier independent projects." Industry Trends
Memory hook
A movie so big that lines of fans BUST around the entire city BLOCK. Busting lines around the block.
When not to use
Avoid applying to small, low-budget art-house films, even if critically acclaimed.
Fun facts
- Steven Spielberg's 1975 film 'Jaws' is widely considered the first modern summer blockbuster, as it revolutionized wide release theatrical distribution.
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