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detonate

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detonate

  • /ˈdɛtəneɪt/ UK
  • /ˈdɛtəˌneɪt/ Canada, US
  • [ˈdɛɾəˌneɪt] Canada, US
  • [ˈdɛʔ.əˌneɪt] Canada, US
  • /ˈdetənæɪt/ Australia, New Zealand
  • [ˈdeɾənæɪt] Australia, New Zealand

Where it comes from

First attested in 1729; either borrowed from French détoner or directly from Latin dētonātus, perfect passive participle of dētonō (“to thunder down (strongly); (figuratively, of a person) to thunder, speak threateningly, to rage; to stop thundering”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from dē- (“off, from”) + tonō (“to thunder”)). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tenh₂-. The current interlingual meaning seems to be a new formation in postclassical times (to thunder → make a large noise → explode), compare explode.

verb detonates · detonating · detonated

  1. intransitive To explode, blow up The “Fat Man” detonated at 11:02 a.m.

    Similar: blast

  2. especially, intransitive To combust or decompose supersonically via shock compression.

    Similar: blast · Opposite: deflagrate

  3. transitive To cause to explode. The engineers detonated the dynamite and watched the old building collapse.
  4. figuratively, intransitive To express sudden anger. As Oscar turned to greet Yvonne, she could see every muscle in his body contract in anger. Then he detonated. “What the hell are you doing here without an appointment? […]

    Similar: fulminate, thunder

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: explode, blow up, set off, blow, smash, collapse, jump, ignite, blast, trigger, jumping, bomb, erupt, detonize, displode, 'splode

Translations

Every language

verb to explode

Españoldetonarse
中文爆炸 bàozhà
Portuguêsdetonar, explodir
Françaisdétoner
Italianodetonare, esplodere
Românăexploda
Русскийвзрыва́ться vzryvátʹsja, взорва́ться vzorvátʹsja
עבריתהתפוצץ hitpotséts

verb to cause to explode

Españoldetonar
日本語爆発させる bakuhatsu saseru
中文引爆 yǐnbào
Portuguêsdetonar
Françaisdétoner
Deutschdetonieren
Italianofar detonare, far esplodere
Românădetona, a face să explodeze
Русскийвзрыва́ть vzryvátʹ, взорва́ть vzorvátʹ, детони́ровать detonírovatʹ
עבריתפוצץ potséts

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Cite this
MLA

"detonate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/detonate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

detonate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/detonate

Chicago

"detonate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/detonate.

BibTeX
@misc{detonate_2026,
  title = {detonate},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/detonate},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}