See rocket science in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "-"
},
"expansion": "rocket science (uncountable)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"coordinate_terms": [
{
"word": "astrodynamics"
},
{
"word": "astronautics"
}
],
"derived": [
{
"_dis1": "90 10",
"word": "rocket surgery"
}
],
"glosses": [
"The science or study of rockets and their design."
],
"id": "en-rocket_science-en-noun-Krgajmsl",
"links": [
[
"science",
"science"
],
[
"study",
"study"
]
],
"qualifier": "literal",
"raw_glosses": [
"(literal) The science or study of rockets and their design."
],
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "90 10",
"word": "rocket scientist"
}
],
"tags": [
"uncountable"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English hyperboles",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English negative polarity items",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "23 77",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "25 75",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English litotes",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "25 75",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Entries with translation boxes",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "22 78",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 81",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "18 82",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Afrikaans translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "18 82",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Czech translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "12 88",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Danish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "21 79",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "18 82",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "18 82",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with German translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "18 82",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "18 82",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Indonesian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "18 82",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "20 80",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Polish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "17 83",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "18 82",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Russian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "15 85",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "17 83",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
9,
23
]
],
"text": "It's not rocket science. Just screw in the bulb and flip the switch.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
9,
23
]
],
"text": "It's not rocket science. You just need to screw this to that!",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
11,
25
]
],
"ref": "2007 January 19, Thomas Friedman, “A Warning From the Garden”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:",
"text": "This isn’t rocket science. Government standards matter. They drive innovation and efficiency.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
183,
197
]
],
"ref": "2024 May 29, Philip Haigh, “The digital revolution and the switch to in-cab signalling”, in RAIL, number 1010, page 29:",
"text": "Akers claims that ETCS signalling renewals are roughly 50% of the cost of conventional renewals. If nothing else, this is an important reason for NR to be keen to switch. \"There's no rocket science or magic in that, there's just physically less to deliver,\" he says. \"There are no trackside signals. Yes, you have balises and marker boards, and you still have train detection, but by and large there is simply less to deliver.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Anything overly complex, detailed, or confusing."
],
"id": "en-rocket_science-en-noun-OFQlEx5j",
"links": [
[
"complex",
"complex"
],
[
"detail",
"detail"
],
[
"confusing",
"confusing"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic, hyperbolic, chiefly in the negative) Anything overly complex, detailed, or confusing."
],
"raw_tags": [
"in the negative"
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "brain surgery"
},
{
"word": "rocket surgery"
}
],
"tags": [
"excessive",
"idiomatic",
"uncountable"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "af",
"lang": "Afrikaans",
"lang_code": "af",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "vuurpylwetenskap"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"lang_code": "cmn",
"roman": "gāoshēn de shì",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "高深的事"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"lang_code": "cs",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "žádná věda"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"lang_code": "da",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "raketvidenskab"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"lang_code": "nl",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "hogere wiskunde"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "rakettitiede"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "Raketenwissenschaft"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"tags": [
"neuter"
],
"word": "Hexenwerk"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"lang_code": "hu",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "atomfizika"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"lang_code": "hu",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "agysebészet"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "id",
"lang": "Indonesian",
"lang_code": "id",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "susah parah"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"lang_code": "pl",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "czarna magia"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"lang_code": "pt",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "bicho de sete cabeças"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"note": "бино́м Ньюто́на m (binóm Nʹjutóna, literally “Newton binomial”)",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "física cuántica"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"lang_code": "sv",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "raketforskning"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "en-au-rocket science.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f9/En-au-rocket_science.ogg/En-au-rocket_science.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/En-au-rocket_science.ogg"
}
],
"word": "rocket science"
}
{
"categories": [
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English litotes",
"English multiword terms",
"English nouns",
"English uncountable nouns",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Terms with Afrikaans translations",
"Terms with Czech translations",
"Terms with Danish translations",
"Terms with Dutch translations",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with German translations",
"Terms with Hungarian translations",
"Terms with Indonesian translations",
"Terms with Mandarin translations",
"Terms with Polish translations",
"Terms with Portuguese translations",
"Terms with Russian translations",
"Terms with Spanish translations",
"Terms with Swedish translations"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "rocket surgery"
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "-"
},
"expansion": "rocket science (uncountable)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"word": "rocket scientist"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"coordinate_terms": [
{
"word": "astrodynamics"
},
{
"word": "astronautics"
}
],
"glosses": [
"The science or study of rockets and their design."
],
"links": [
[
"science",
"science"
],
[
"study",
"study"
]
],
"qualifier": "literal",
"raw_glosses": [
"(literal) The science or study of rockets and their design."
],
"tags": [
"uncountable"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English hyperboles",
"English idioms",
"English negative polarity items",
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
9,
23
]
],
"text": "It's not rocket science. Just screw in the bulb and flip the switch.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
9,
23
]
],
"text": "It's not rocket science. You just need to screw this to that!",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
11,
25
]
],
"ref": "2007 January 19, Thomas Friedman, “A Warning From the Garden”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:",
"text": "This isn’t rocket science. Government standards matter. They drive innovation and efficiency.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
183,
197
]
],
"ref": "2024 May 29, Philip Haigh, “The digital revolution and the switch to in-cab signalling”, in RAIL, number 1010, page 29:",
"text": "Akers claims that ETCS signalling renewals are roughly 50% of the cost of conventional renewals. If nothing else, this is an important reason for NR to be keen to switch. \"There's no rocket science or magic in that, there's just physically less to deliver,\" he says. \"There are no trackside signals. Yes, you have balises and marker boards, and you still have train detection, but by and large there is simply less to deliver.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Anything overly complex, detailed, or confusing."
],
"links": [
[
"complex",
"complex"
],
[
"detail",
"detail"
],
[
"confusing",
"confusing"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic, hyperbolic, chiefly in the negative) Anything overly complex, detailed, or confusing."
],
"raw_tags": [
"in the negative"
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "brain surgery"
},
{
"word": "rocket surgery"
}
],
"tags": [
"excessive",
"idiomatic",
"uncountable"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "en-au-rocket science.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f9/En-au-rocket_science.ogg/En-au-rocket_science.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/En-au-rocket_science.ogg"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "af",
"lang": "Afrikaans",
"lang_code": "af",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "vuurpylwetenskap"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"lang_code": "cmn",
"roman": "gāoshēn de shì",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "高深的事"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"lang_code": "cs",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "žádná věda"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"lang_code": "da",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "raketvidenskab"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"lang_code": "nl",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "hogere wiskunde"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "rakettitiede"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "Raketenwissenschaft"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"tags": [
"neuter"
],
"word": "Hexenwerk"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"lang_code": "hu",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "atomfizika"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"lang_code": "hu",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "agysebészet"
},
{
"code": "id",
"lang": "Indonesian",
"lang_code": "id",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "susah parah"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"lang_code": "pl",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "czarna magia"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"lang_code": "pt",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "bicho de sete cabeças"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"note": "бино́м Ньюто́на m (binóm Nʹjutóna, literally “Newton binomial”)",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "física cuántica"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"lang_code": "sv",
"sense": "idiomatic: anything overly complex",
"word": "raketforskning"
}
],
"word": "rocket science"
}
Download raw JSONL data for rocket science meaning in English (5.6kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-01-19 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (d1270d2 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.