explosive
English · Français · Deutsch · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
explosive
- /ɛkˈspləʊsɪv/ UK
- /ɪkˈspləʊsɪv/ UK
- /ɛkˈsploʊsɪv/ Canada, US
- /ɪkˈsploʊsɪv/ Canada, US
- /ekˈspləʉsɪv/ Australia
- [ekˈsplɐʉsɪv] Australia
- /ɪkˈspləʉsɪv/ Australia
- [ɪkˈsplɐʉsɪv] Australia
- /ekˈsplɐʉsəv/ New Zealand
- /əkˈsplɐʉsəv/ New Zealand
Where it comes from
From Latin explōs-, stem of the perfect passive participle of explōdō + the suffix -ive.
adjective more explosive · most explosive
-
Able to, or likely to, explode.
an explosive device
Opposite: implosive, inert, nonflammable
- Having the character of an explosion. an explosive fire
- Of a specific cellular automaton rule, tending to exhibit infinite and unpredictable growth when starting from finite random patterns. Notes: A rule set that (very probably) results in explosive growth; certainly in area if not population.
-
Rapidly accelerating.
Near-synonym: plyometric
Similar: plyometric
- Shocking; startling. an explosive accusation
- Easily driven to anger, usually with reference to a person. He has an explosive personality.
-
Synonym of plosive.
the explosive consonants
Similar: plosive
noun explosives
- Any explosive substance.
- A plosive. The words of these songs were either without meaning, or derived from an idiom with which Watt, a very fair linguist, had no acquaintance. The open a sound was predominant, and the explosives k and g.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: exploding, detonative, sudden, volatile, bursting, unstable, detonating, explosion, blasting, eruptive, explode, bang, demolition, fragile, blast, combustible
Translations
Every language
adj having the character of an explosion
| Español | explosivo |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 爆炸的 bàozhà de |
| Português | explosivo |
| Ελληνικά | εκρηκτικός ekriktikós |
| Русский | взрывно́й vzryvnój |
adj with the capability to, or likely to, explode
| Español | explosivo |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 易爆 yìbào |
| हिन्दी | विस्फोटक visphoṭak |
| Português | explosivo |
| Français | explosif |
| Deutsch | explosiv |
| Italiano | esplosivo |
| Ελληνικά | εκρηκτικός ekriktikós |
| Română | exploziv |
| Русский | взры́вчатый vzrývčatyj, взрывно́й vzryvnój |
| العربية | اِنْفِجَارِيّ infijāriyy, مُتَفَجِّر mutafajjir |
adj easily driven to anger
| 中文 | 暴躁 bàozào |
|---|---|
| Português | explosivo |
| Deutsch | aufbrausend, explosiv |
| Italiano | irascibile, collerico, iracondo |
| Русский | вспы́льчивый vspýlʹčivyj |
noun explosive substance
| Español | explosivo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 폭발물 pokbalmul |
| 日本語 | 爆発物 bakuhatsubutsu |
| 中文 | 炸藥 /炸药 zhàyào, 爆炸物 bàozhàwù |
| हिन्दी | विस्फोटक visphoṭak |
| Português | explosivo |
| Français | explosif |
| Deutsch | Sprengstoff, Sprengmittel |
| Italiano | esplosivo |
| Română | exploziv |
| Русский | взры́вчатое вещество́ vzrývčatoje veščestvó, взрывча́тка vzryvčátka |
| Tiếng Việt | chất nổ, thuốc nổ |
| العربية | مُتَفَجِّرَة mutafajjira, مَادَّة مُتَفَجِّرَة mādda mutafajjira |
Talk about this word "explosive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/explosive. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. explosive. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/explosive "explosive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/explosive.Cite this
@misc{explosive_2026,
title = {explosive},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/explosive},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
