pyrotechnic

American  

[pahy-ruh-tek-nik] / ˌpaɪ rəˈtɛk nɪk /

Also pyrotechnical

adjective

1. of or relating to pyrotechnics.

2. pertaining to, resembling, or suggesting fireworks.

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Other Word Forms

• pyrotechnically adverb

Etymology

Origin of pyrotechnic

First recorded in 1695–1705; pyro- + technic

Explanation

Something that's pyrotechnic has to do with fireworks. Many Americans watch pyrotechnic displays on the Fourth of July. You can use the adjective pyrotechnic to talk about fireworks, including making them or watching them. You can also use it to describe things that look like fireworks, like pyrotechnic sparkles of sunlight through a prism, or pyrotechnic sparks in your backyard fire pit as you throw pine branches on the blaze. Pyrotechnic first meant "of fire," from the Greek pyro, "fire," and tekhnikos, "made by art."

Example Sentences

Mercutio in “Romeo and Juliet” begets similar difficulties: He loves to hear himself talk, and his utterances can have an acrobatic or even pyrotechnic quality.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Bildstein had pyrotechnic flares installed in the middle of the outdoor dance floor and added a 200-foot wall of more than 1,000 LED screens.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Since the explosion, the state fire marshal’s office suspended the pyrotechnic licenses of Kenneth Chee from Devastating Pyrotechnics and Craig Cutright of Blackstar Fireworks, who were linked to the site.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2025

There were smiles, though, just about visible behind the pyrotechnic fog rising off the sea of bodies that had invaded the pitch for the third successive year.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2025

The spectacular pyrotechnic display could be viewed thirty miles away.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin