Why do I need to know bombe à retardement? 

Because there is always a crisis just around the corner. 

What does it mean? 

A bombe à retardement, pronounced “bom ah ray-tard-ah-mon”, literally means “time bomb”. 

As in English, the French use this both literally and as a metaphor for something that will become a problem in the future. 

It can be used in a wide range of catastrophic contexts.

Typically, it would be employed to describe a situation rather than a person. 

The plural is bombes à retardement – the ‘s’ is silent. 

How do I use it? 

La situation est une bombe à retardement – The situation is a time bomb 

Une centrale nucléaire, sur terre ou sous terre, c’est une bombe à retardement – A nuclear power plant, above ground or underground, is a ticking time bomb.

Le pays est confronté à une bombe à retardement au plan démographique – The country is confronted by a demographic time bomb

La question de savoir si la torture est justifiée dans les scénarios de «bombe à retardement» reste controversée – The question of whether torture is justified in a time bomb situation remains controversial 

Synonyms 

Une grenade dégoupillée, or “unpinned grenade”, is another explosive metaphor to describe a pending disaster. 

It can be used to describe both a situation and a person. 

Zemmour est une grenade dégoupillée pour faire exploser la droite – Zemmour is an unpinned grenade poised to destroy the political right

Cette nouvelle souche virale est une grenade dégoupillée – This new viral strain is an unpinned grenade