bang

noun

Bang — a success arriving with sudden, exclamatory force

Definition

A conspicuous success; "that song was his first hit and marked the beginning of his career"; "that new Broadway show is a real smasher"; "the party went with a bang"

In depth

A bang, in this sense, names a conspicuous success, the word carrying the same sudden, forceful energy as its more literal meaning, a loud, abrupt noise. To describe a success as a 'bang' is to emphasize its immediate, attention-grabbing impact, often paired with the idiomatic phrase 'going out with a bang,' meaning to end something memorably and impressively.

Origin

The word is imitative in origin, mimicking the sudden, sharp sound of an explosion or impact. Its figurative extension to describe conspicuous success follows a natural pattern, the loud, sudden noise becoming a metaphor for any achievement so immediate and forceful that it cannot be overlooked or ignored.

Usage examples

"That song was his first hit, and it landed with such a bang that no one could ignore his talent any longer."

"She wanted her retirement to go out with a bang rather than a quiet, unremarked fade."

"The launch went over with a bang, exceeding even the most optimistic internal projections."

How to use it

Bang is informal, energetic vocabulary, most often encountered in fixed idioms like 'going out with a bang' or 'starting with a bang,' useful wherever a writer wants to convey sudden, attention-grabbing impact rather than gradual or quiet success.