blockbusting
blockbusting Lexical Profile
blockbusting Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American The unlawful practice by real estate agents of persuading homeowners to sell their property cheaply by stoking fear that racial or ethnic minorities will soon move into the neighborhood, and then reselling the property at inflated prices.
"The Fair Housing Act of 1968 outlawed blockbusting and other discriminatory real estate practices across the United States."
• adjective
Achieving or characterized by enormous commercial success, popularity, or dramatic impact.
"The studio relied on a series of blockbusting summer sequels to finance its smaller independent films."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in mid-20th-century American English, the real estate sense refers to 'busting' the racial homogeneity of a city block, while the adjective sense derives from 'blockbuster,' originally a large aerial bomb capable of destroying an entire city block.