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ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Explosive

/ɛkˈspləʊsɪv/ · adjective

Meaning

Able to, or likely to, explode..

Definitions by Sense

  1. Able to, or likely to, explode.
  2. Having the character of an explosion.
  3. (figurative) Rapidly accelerating.
  4. (figurative) Shocking; startling.
  5. (slang) Easily driven to anger, usually with reference to a person.
  6. (phonetics, archaic) Synonym of plosive.
  7. Any explosive substance.
  8. (linguistics, dated) A plosive.

Example Sentences

an explosive device
an explosive fire
Near-synonym: plyometric
explosive movements
an explosive accusation
He has an explosive personality.
the explosive consonants
The words of these songs were either without meaning, or derived from an idiom with which Watt, a very fair linguist, had no acquaintance. The open a sound was predominant, and the explosives k and g.

Synonyms for explosive

plyometricplosivevolatileunstablesuddenburstingexplodingdetonatingdetonative

Antonyms for explosive

implosiveinertnonflammablenonexplosive

Related Words

explodingdetonativesuddenvolatileburstingunstabledetonatingexplosionblastingeruptiveexplodebangdemolitionfragileblastcombustiblehair-triggerordnanceprovocativeammunition

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does explosive mean?

Explosive means Able to, or likely to, explode..

What is a synonym for explosive?

Common synonyms include plyometric, plosive, volatile, unstable.

What is the opposite of explosive?

Possible antonyms include implosive, inert, nonflammable, nonexplosive.

How do you use explosive in a sentence?

an explosive device

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.