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

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Etymology

Origin of pyrotechnic

First recorded in 1695–1705; pyro- + technic

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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

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

Two years ago, England pushed Australia close in both of the defeats - after the febrile, wildly undulating and frequently pyrotechnic Edgbaston and Lord's Tests, England had scored 34.6 runs per wicket to Australia's 35.8.

From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2025

The spectacular pyrotechnic display could be viewed thirty miles away.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin

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