What does torpedoed mean?
Torpedoed is the past tense and past participle of the verb torpedo, and it describes something struck, disabled, or destroyed by a torpedo. Its best-known use is historical and military: a ship may be torpedoed by an enemy submarine, often with the result that it sinks. The word can also function figuratively. A rival may torpedo a negotiation, a company may torpedo a proposal, or bad news may torpedo an actor’s chances. In these contexts, torpedoed suggests a forceful, deliberate act that ruins or seriously disrupts a plan, project, or career. The figurative sense is dramatic but common in journalism, politics, and business, where it conveys both decisiveness and malevolence. Although naval imagery gives the word its force, it is not restricted to ships: torpedoes can target submarines and other vessels, while figurative usage applies to almost any undertaking vulnerable to disruption. Knowing both senses helps explain why otherwise unrelated situations can be described as having been torpedoed.
verbTo strike, disable, or destroy with a torpedo; figuratively, to deliberately sabotage or ruin.
- To strike, disable, or destroy a vessel or other target with a torpedo.
- To deliberately sabotage or ruin an undertaking, plan, or prospect.
"The submarine torpedoed the destroyer before dawn."
"The merchant ship was torpedoed off the coast during the war."
"The chairman torpedoed the merger by withdrawing his support."
Torpedoed began as a description of underwater warfare, but now it can sink a plan, a career, or a negotiation just as effectively as it can sink a ship.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of torpedoed
Torpedoed is the past tense and past participle of torpedo. English borrowed the noun from Italian torpedine, ultimately through Latin; it originally referred to an underwater mine intended to stun or destroy ships. The verb developed its military meaning and later acquired a figurative sense meaning to sabotage or ruin.
How torpedoed is actually used
The literal sense is strongly associated with naval warfare. The figurative sense is common in journalism, politics, and business and carries a deliberately hostile connotation.