noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:B L IH1 T S K R IY2 G
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A fast military offensive, typically involving a large and highly mobile tank force with air support.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: lightning war
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Sudden activity; a flurry.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a swift and violent military offensive with intensive aerial bombardment
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: blitz
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: attack, onslaught, onset, onrush
4
verb
Meaning 4
fight a quick and surprising war
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: war
History
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from German Blitzkrieg (literally “lightning war”).
Across languages
Translations
59 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
حَرْب خَاطِفَة
(ḥarb ḵāṭifa)
— fast military offensive
Armenian:
բլիցկրիգ
(blicʻkrig)
— fast military offensive
Armenian:
կայծակնային պատերազմ
(kaycaknayin paterazm)
— fast military offensive
Azerbaijani:
ildırımsürətli müharibə
— fast military offensive
Azerbaijani:
blitskriq
— fast military offensive
Belarusian:
бліцкры́г
(blickrýh)
— fast military offensive
Belarusian:
мала́нкавая вайна́
(malánkavaja vajná)
— fast military offensive
Bulgarian:
светка́вична война́
(svetkávična vojná)
— fast military offensive
Chinese Mandarin:
閃電戰 /闪电战
(shǎndiànzhàn)
— fast military offensive
Czech:
blesková válka
— fast military offensive
Danish:
blitzkrig
— fast military offensive
Danish:
lynkrig
— fast military offensive
Dutch:
bliksemoorlog
— fast military offensive
Dutch:
blitzkrieg
— fast military offensive
Esperanto:
fulmomilito
— fast military offensive
Estonian:
välksõda
— fast military offensive
Finnish:
salamasota
— fast military offensive
French:
blitzkrieg
— fast military offensive
French:
guerre éclair
— fast military offensive
Georgian:
ბლიცკრიგი
(blicḳrigi)
— fast military offensive
German:
Blitzkrieg
— fast military offensive
Greek:
κεραυνοβόλος πόλεμος
(keravnovólos pólemos)
— fast military offensive
Hebrew:
מִלְחֶמֶת בָּזָק
(milkhémet bazák)
— fast military offensive
Hungarian:
villámháború
— fast military offensive
Icelandic:
leifturstríð
— fast military offensive
Italian:
guerra lampo
— fast military offensive
Italian:
guerra celere
— fast military offensive
Japanese:
電撃戦
(dengekisen)
— fast military offensive
Khmer:
សង្គ្រាមផ្លេកបន្ទោរ
(sɑngkriəm phleik bɑntou)
— fast military offensive
Korean:
전격전
(jeon'gyeokjeon)
— fast military offensive
Latvian:
zibenskarš
— fast military offensive
Lithuanian:
blickrygas
— fast military offensive
Norwegian Bokmål:
blitskrig
— fast military offensive
Norwegian Bokmål:
lynkrig
— fast military offensive
Persian:
حمله برقآسا
(hamle-ye barq-âsâ)
— fast military offensive
Polish:
blitzkrieg
— fast military offensive
Polish:
wojna błyskawiczna
— fast military offensive
Portuguese:
blitzkrieg
— fast military offensive
Portuguese:
guerra-relâmpago
— fast military offensive
Romanian:
război fulger
— fast military offensive
Romanian:
blitzkrieg
— fast military offensive
Russian:
блицкри́г
(blickríg)
— fast military offensive
Russian:
молниено́сная война́
(molnijenósnaja vojná)
— fast military offensive
Serbo-Croatian:
бли̏цкрӣг
— fast military offensive
Serbo-Croatian:
blȉckrīg
— fast military offensive
Slovak:
blesková vojna
— fast military offensive
Slovene:
bliskovita vojna
— fast military offensive
Spanish:
guerra célere
— fast military offensive
Spanish:
guerra relámpago
— fast military offensive
Swedish:
blixtkrig
— fast military offensive
Tagalog:
blitzkrig
— fast military offensive
Tamil:
மின்னலடித் தாக்குதல்
(miṉṉalaṭit tākkutal)
— fast military offensive
Thai:
การโจมตีสายฟ้าแลบ
(gaan-joom-dtii-sǎai-fáa-lɛ̂ɛp)
— fast military offensive
Thai:
บลิทซ์ครีค
— fast military offensive
Turkish:
yıldırım savaşı
— fast military offensive
Ukrainian:
бліцкри́г
(blickrýh)
— fast military offensive
Ukrainian:
блискави́чна війна́
(blyskavýčna vijná)
— fast military offensive
Vietnamese:
chiến tranh chớp nhoáng
— fast military offensive
Yiddish:
בליצקריג
(blitskrig)
— fast military offensive
