Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

dynamite

American  
[dahy-nuh-mahyt] / ˈdaɪ nəˌmaɪt /

noun

  1. a high explosive, originally consisting of nitroglycerin mixed with an absorbent substance, now with ammonium nitrate usually replacing the nitroglycerin.

  2. any person or thing having a spectacular effect.

verb (used with object)

dynamited, dynamiting

  1. to blow up, shatter, or destroy with dynamite.

    Saboteurs dynamited the dam.

  2. to mine or charge with dynamite.

adjective

  1. Informal. creating a spectacular or optimum effect; great; topnotch.

    a dynamite idea; a dynamite crew.
dynamite British  
/ ˈdaɪnəˌmaɪt /

noun

  1. an explosive consisting of nitroglycerine or ammonium nitrate mixed with kieselguhr, sawdust, or wood pulp

  2. informal a spectacular or potentially dangerous person or thing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to mine or blow up with dynamite

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
dynamite Scientific  
/ dī′nə-mīt′ /

  1. A powerful explosive used in blasting and mining. It typically consists of nitroglycerin and a nitrate (especially sodium nitrate or ammonium nitrate), combined with an absorbent material that makes it safer to handle.

Other Word Forms

  • dynamiter noun
  • dynamitic adjective
  • dynamitically adverb
  • undynamited adjective

Etymology

Origin of dynamite

From Swedish dynamit, introduced by Alfred Bernhard Nobel ( def. ), its inventor in 1867; dynam-, -ite 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

We’ve all marveled at Shohei Ohtani’s Superman quick change, how he’ll go from dynamite pitcher to fearsome hitter in a few bats of an eye.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026

A man who left a fake stick of dynamite outside the headquarters of MI5 has been found guilty of carrying out a bomb hoax.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

To prepare the site, engineers have already blasted through more than 7 million pounds of dynamite.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

Balancing earnest schmaltz with sharp humor, the show works best as a hangout comedy about an extended friend group with dynamite chemistry, with echoes of previous Bill Lawrence shows like “Scrubs” and “Cougar Town.”

From MarketWatch • Dec. 31, 2025

Even a dynamite blast on day twenty-two did not frighten her.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.