rocket science

English

Pronunciation

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Noun

rocket science (uncountable)

1. (literal) The science or study of rockets and their design.

   Coordinate terms: astrodynamics, astronautics

2. (idiomatic, hyperbolic, chiefly in the negative) Anything overly complex, detailed or confusing.

   Synonym: brain surgery

   It's not rocket science. Just screw in the bulb and flip the switch.

   It's not rocket science. You just need to screw this to that!

   • 2007 January 19, Thomas L. Friedman, “A Warning From the Garden”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     This isn’t rocket science. Government standards matter. They drive innovation and efficiency.

Synonyms

• (something complex and confusing): brain surgery

Derived terms

• rocket surgery

 

Translations

anything overly complex (idiomatic)

• Afrikaans: vuurpylwetenskap
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 高深的事 (gāoshēn de shì)

• Czech: žádná věda f
• Danish: raketvidenskab c
• Dutch: hogere wiskunde f
• Finnish: rakettitiede (fi)
• German: Raketenwissenschaft f, Hexenwerk (de) n
• Hungarian: atomfizika (hu)
• Polish: czarna magia (pl) f
• Portuguese: bicho de sete cabeças (pt)
• Russian: бино́м Ньюто́на m (binóm Nʹjutóna) (Newton binomial)
• Spanish: física cuántica
• Swedish: raketforskning

See also

• rocket scientist