explosive
explosives
An explosive is a substance that can be made to explode by being hit or lit on fire. You might use an explosive to create a tunnel through a mountain — but you probably shouldn't use one to clear weeds from your yard.
Explosives contain highly reactive chemicals that are full of potential energy, which can be released with a bang. You can also use the word explosive as an adjective, to describe such substances or anything else that is dramatic, abrupt, or loud. You might say that your brother has an explosive temper sometimes, or that your snow shoveling business has seen explosive growth this winter. The Latin root is explodere, "drive out."
Definitions of explosive
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a chemical substance that undergoes a rapid chemical change (with the production of gas) on being heated or struck
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types:
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burster, bursting charge, charge, explosive charge
a quantity of explosive to be set off at one time
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explosive compound
a compound that is explosive
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explosive mixture
a mixture that is explosive
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impulse explosive, propellant explosive
an explosive that is used to propel projectiles from guns or to propel rockets and missiles or to launch torpedos and depth charges
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load, payload, warhead
the front part of a guided missile or rocket or torpedo that carries the nuclear or explosive charge or the chemical or biological agents
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HN, azoimide, hydrazoic acid, hydrogen azide
a colorless explosive liquid that is volatile and poisonous and foul-smelling
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high explosive
a powerful chemical explosive that produces gas at a very high rate
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low explosive
an explosive with a low rate of combustion
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gunpowder, powder
a mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur in a 75:15:10 ratio which is used in gunnery, time fuses, and fireworks
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Ballistite, smokeless powder
an explosive (trade name Ballistite) that burns with relatively little smoke; contains pyrocellulose and is used as a propellant
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nitramine, tetryl
a yellow crystalline explosive solid that is used in detonators
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atomic warhead, nuclear warhead, nuke, thermonuclear warhead
the warhead of a missile designed to deliver an atom bomb
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blasting gelatin
mixture of guncotton with nitroglycerin
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cordite
explosive powder (nitroglycerin and guncotton and petrolatum) dissolved in acetone and dried and extruded in brown cords
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bursting explosive, disrupting explosive
a high explosive that is used to damage the target that is under attack
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dynamite
an explosive containing nitrate sensitized with nitroglycerin absorbed on wood pulp
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firework, pyrotechnic
(usually plural) a device with an explosive that burns at a low rate and with colored flames; can be used to illuminate areas or send signals etc.
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plastic explosive, plastique
an explosive material that is easily molded around the object it is intended to destroy
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shot
an explosive charge used in blasting
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TNT, trinitrotoluene
explosive consisting of a yellow crystalline compound that is a flammable toxic derivative of toluene
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undercharge
an insufficient charge
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rocket fuel, rocket propellant, rocket propellent
an explosive charge that propels a rocket
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type of:
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chemical, chemical substance
material produced by or used in a reaction involving changes in atoms or molecules
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serving to explode or characterized by explosion or sudden outburst“an explosive device”“explosive gas”“explosive force”“explosive violence”“an explosive temper”
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Synonyms:
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detonative
exploding almost instantaneously
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Antonyms:
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nonexplosive
not explosive
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detonative
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sudden and loud“an explosive laugh”
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Synonyms:
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sudden
happening without warning or in a short space of time
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sudden
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liable to lead to sudden change or violence
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘explosive'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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