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.

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noun

explosives plural

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

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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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• explosives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of explosive

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

Explanation

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

explosive explosives

Florko, a staff writer at the Atlantic, made that pronouncement long before the multistate outbreak of Cyclospora cayetanensis, a parasite that is associated with explosive diarrhea and has spread across 34 states and counting.

From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026

US fast-food chain Taco Bell is removing lettuce from its menu in some states after investigations found it could be linked to an outbreak of explosive diarrhoea caused by a parasite.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Argentina may be the most explosive game of this World Cup.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

Alas, the old girl couldn’t compete with the assortment of crises that transpired during the show’s three-week hiatus, including the once-in-a-lifetime comedy opportunity presented by explosive headlines about explosive diarrhea.

From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026

Then he relaxed with an explosive sigh and looked out at the nearly empty courtyard.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

"But explosives don't fall into that category and that's where safeguards should kick in, and they haven't," Juelich told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

And now, existing X-ray machines would be modified to detect explosives.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

Residents of Bergerac, a cobblestoned French town famous for its wines, complain that all they have received from a revamped explosives factory are empty promises and drones in their skies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to buy the explosives.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

A short while later, a Harvard University chemistry student named Donald Hornig was doing research in an explosives lab when the lab director walked in.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• fiery
• frenzied
• hazardous
• meteoric
• stormy
• tense
• touchy
• ugly
• uncontrollable
• unstable
• violent