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

See Examples For:

pyrotechnic

The first detonation was believed to have involved "black powder corresponding to pyrotechnic material stored at the site," he said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026

Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano said "pyrotechnic material" was stored at the base in Viacha, southwest of Bolivia's administrative capital La Paz.

From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026

At a 2020 celebration in a Yucaipa park, a couple used a pyrotechnic that was supposed to emit blue or pink smoke.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 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

The spectacular pyrotechnic display could be viewed thirty miles away.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin