🇬🇧 Torpedo meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

To torpedo means to shoot a long, fast underwater weapon called a torpedo at something, usually a ship or submarine, to blow it up or sink it. It’s a word we mostly use when talking about war or battles in the ocean.

I tried to torpedo the trash can with a crumpled paper ball, but it bounced off and attacked my teacher’s shoe instead.

I tried to torpedo my alarm clock with a flying pillow, but it survived and kept beeping like an evil robot ship.

My sneeze torpedoed a cornflake out of my bowl and straight into my sister’s juice.

During bath time, I torpedoed the soap bar so hard it escaped the tub and slid across the floor like a tiny iceberg.

In real life, submarines torpedo enemy ships underwater, shooting long metal tubes that race through the sea and explode when they hit their target—like very dangerous, high-speed underwater rockets.

At dawn the captain told the young sailor to torpedo the drifting freighter. He loaded, watched the small torpedo dive and cut through the dark sea. The torpedo hit the hull with a hot boom; the freighter listed and sank. On shore people wept, then cheered when the captain ordered one more torpedo; another torpedo struck and the smoke eased.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.