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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.

Driven by the explosive growth of artificial intelligence, the largest semiconductor companies in the world recorded more than $400 billion in combined sales in 2025, by far the biggest year for chips on record.

From The Wall Street Journal

But if your business hits a home run and has explosive growth, dollar limits on exemptions may be irrelevant and you would want to exempt 10 times your cost basis, Brady says.

From Barron's

Australia resumed on 4-0 after an explosive opening day of searing pace saw 20 wickets fall with the hosts dismissed for 152 and England just 110.

From Barron's

The most explosive moment could be a handshake once the game ends.

From The Wall Street Journal

The statement on Telegram added that investigators were inspecting the scene and carrying out forensic analysis including "medical and explosive examinations".

From Barron's

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.