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Synonyms

explosive

American  
[ik-sploh-siv] / ɪkˈsploʊ sɪv /

adjective

  1. tending or serving to explode.

    an explosive temper; Nitroglycerin is an explosive substance.

  2. pertaining to or of the nature of an explosion.

    explosive violence.

  3. likely to lead to violence or hostility.

    an explosive issue.

  4. Phonetics. plosive.

noun

  1. an explosive agent or substance, as dynamite.

  2. Phonetics. plosive.

explosive British  
/ ɪkˈspləʊsɪv /

adjective

  1. of, involving, or characterized by an explosion or explosions

  2. capable of exploding or tending to explode

  3. potentially violent or hazardous; dangerous

    an explosive situation

  4. phonetics another word for plosive

"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

noun

  1. a substance that decomposes rapidly under certain conditions with the production of gases, which expand by the heat of the reaction. The energy released is used in firearms, blasting, and rocket propulsion

  2. a plosive consonant; stop

"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

Other Word Forms

  • explosively adverb
  • explosiveness noun
  • nonexplosive adjective
  • nonexplosively adverb
  • nonexplosiveness noun
  • unexplosive adjective
  • unexplosively adverb
  • unexplosiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of explosive

First recorded in 1660–70; explos(ion) + -ive

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.

It's also home to a nightclub which two weeks ago is thought to have spawned an explosive outbreak of meningitis B - a potentially deadly inflammation of the brain lining.

From BBC

"It's the explosive nature that is unprecedented here - the number of cases in such a short space of time," she added.

From BBC

Phoenix Air, however, made its bones by carrying industrial and military explosives.

From The Wall Street Journal

That could lead to an outright bear market but, more likely than not, sets the stage for subsequent, if not explosive, gains.

From MarketWatch

China has taken pride in its explosive growth over the decades.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.