thunderbolt

thunderbolt — 名詞

1. a single brilliant streak of electricity in the sky during a storm, shown as a s

1.名詞B1
釋義

霹靂

伴隨雷聲的閃電

a single brilliant streak of electricity in the sky during a storm, shown as a sudden bright flash that is followed closely by a loud crash of thunder

例句

A thunderbolt lit up the whole valley for just a brief moment.

一道霹靂照亮了整座山谷，雖然只有短短一瞬間。

During the storm, Wei saw a thunderbolt split the sky above the rice fields.

暴風雨時，阿偉看見一道霹靂劃破了稻田上方的天空。

pattern: thunderbolt + split / tear across / light up [area]

同義詞
  • lightning

    broader term referring to the flash only, not necessarily with thunder

  • thunderclap

    focuses on the loud sound rather than the visual flash

  • bolt of lightning

    similar meaning but emphasises the linear shape of the strike

文法句型

a thunderbolt + verb of impact (struck / hit / crashed)

X + struck by a thunderbolt

用法筆記

Describes a single lightning strike with its accompanying thunder — not used for continuous thunder or for lightning without sound. Frequently found in weather descriptions and mythological references.

常見錯誤

❌I heard thunderbolts all night long.
✅I heard thunder all night long.
💡Thunderbolt refers to one sudden flash-and-crash event, not continuous rumbling.
❌A thunderbolt is the same as lightning.
✅A thunderbolt is lightning that strikes with an immediate crash of thunder.
💡Lightning alone does not include the sound.

2. a piece of news or a sudden event that arrives so unexpectedly that it shocks pe

2.名詞B2
釋義

晴天霹靂

令人震驚的意外消息

a piece of news or a sudden event that arrives so unexpectedly that it shocks people greatly, often changing how they understand a situation

例句

The news of the bank's collapse came as a thunderbolt to the small town.

銀行倒閉的消息對這個小鎮來說猶如晴天霹靂。

pattern: [news/event] + came as a thunderbolt + [to someone]

Without any warning, the divorce papers arrived like a thunderbolt for Rania.

毫無預警之下，離婚文件對 Rania 來說就像晴天霹靂般降臨。

同義詞
  • bombshell

    similar intensity, more common in news headlines and gossip

  • bolt from the blue

    idiom with the same core meaning, emphasising complete lack of warning

  • shock

    broader term covering anything from mild surprise to deep trauma

反義詞

文法句型

came as a thunderbolt [to someone]

hit [someone] like a thunderbolt

was a thunderbolt for [someone]

用法筆記

Often used in the fixed expressions 'came as a thunderbolt,' 'hit like a thunderbolt,' or 'was a thunderbolt.' Particularly common in news reporting and personal narratives about life-changing surprises. The closely related idiom 'a bolt from the blue' carries the same figurative meaning.

常見錯誤

❌My boss gave me a thunderbolt yesterday.
✅My boss's sudden decision came as a thunderbolt yesterday.
💡A thunderbolt describes the nature of the news, not something a person gives you.