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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 went on: "A comprehensive operational examination indicates that no explosive device was placed in the area by IDF troops, and that no IDF troops were present in the area at all."

From BBC

“Markets are increasingly reacting less to headlines alone and more to whether there is a credible path toward de-escalation, which keeps volatility sensitive but less explosive than last week.”

From Barron's

"This work shows that the universe's explosive early growth can come directly from a deeper theory of gravity itself," Afshordi said.

From Science Daily

She tilts her head, studying me, like she didn’t just drop a lit explosive on the table between us.

From Literature

The majority of companies that make up the utilities sector of the S&P 500 are regulated entities that haven’t seen explosive growth.

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.