Standard Lemma guide

explosive

adj · noun · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɛkˈspləʊsɪv/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɪkˈspləʊsɪv/
  • Canada, General-American: /ɛkˈsploʊsɪv/
  • Canada, General-American: /ɪkˈsploʊsɪv/
  • Texas: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ekˈspləʉsɪv/
  • Australian: /ekˈsplɐʉsɪv/
  • Australian: /ɪkˈspləʉsɪv/
  • Australian: /ɪkˈsplɐʉsɪv/
  • Queensland Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Zealand: /ekˈsplɐʉsɪv/
  • New-Zealand: /ɪkˈsplɐʉsɪv/
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 K S P L OW1 S IH0 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Able to, or likely to, explode.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • an explosive device

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: implosive, inert, nonflammable

2

adj

Meaning 2

Having the character of an explosion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • an explosive fire

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Having the character of an explosion.

Of a specific cellular automaton rule, tending to exhibit infinite and unpredictable growth when starting from finite random patterns.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: cellular-automata, computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Rapidly accelerating.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • Near-synonym: plyometric
  • explosive movements

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plyometric

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Shocking; startling.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • an explosive accusation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

Easily driven to anger, usually with reference to a person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

Examples

  • He has an explosive personality.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adj

Meaning 7

Synonym of plosive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, phonetics, phonology, sciences

Examples

  • the explosive consonants

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plosive

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

Any explosive substance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A plosive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective

Meaning 10

serving to explode or characterized by explosion or sudden outburst

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an explosive device
  • explosive gas
  • explosive force
  • explosive violence
  • an explosive temper

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: nonexplosive

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

sudden and loud

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an explosive laugh

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

adjective satellite

Meaning 12

liable to lead to sudden change or violence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an explosive issue
  • a volatile situation with troops and rioters eager for a confrontation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: volatile

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

a chemical substance that undergoes a rapid chemical change (with the production of gas) on being heated or struck

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: chemical, chemical substance

Narrower terms: charge, burster, bursting charge, explosive charge, explosive compound, explosive mixture, propellant explosive, impulse explosive, warhead, payload, load, hydrazoic acid, azoimide, hydrogen azide, HN, high explosive, low explosive, gunpowder, powder, smokeless powder, Ballistite, tetryl, nitramine

History

Etymology

From Latin explōs-, stem of the perfect passive participle of explōdō + the suffix -ive.

Across languages

Translations

159 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: اِنْفِجَارِيّ (infijāriyy) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Arabic: مُتَفَجِّر (mutafajjir) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Armenian: պայթուցիկ (paytʻucʻik) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Belarusian: выбухо́вы (vybuxóvy) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Bulgarian: избухли́в (izbuhlív) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Bulgarian: взри́вен (vzríven) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Catalan: explosiu — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Chinese Mandarin: 易爆 (yìbào) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Czech: výbušný — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Czech: explozivní — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Danish: eksplosiv — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Danish: sprængfarlig — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Dutch: explosief — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Esperanto: eksploda — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Estonian: plahvatusohtlik — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Finnish: räjähtävä — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Finnish: räjähdysherkkä — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • French: explosif — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Galician: explosivo — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Georgian: ფეთქებადი (petkebadi) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • German: explosiv — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Greek: εκρηκτικός (ekriktikós) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Hindi: विस्फोटक (visphoṭak) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Hungarian: robbanó — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Hungarian: robbanékony — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Hungarian: robbanásra hajlamos — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Italian: esplosivo — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Latin: explōsīvus — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Latvian: eksplozīvs — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Latvian: sprāgstošs — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Lithuanian: sprogstamasis — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Macedonian: експлози́вен (eksplozíven) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Norwegian Bokmål: eksplosiv — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: eksplosiv — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Piedmontese: esplosiv — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Polish: wybuchowy — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Portuguese: explosivo — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Romanian: exploziv — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Russian: взры́вчатый (vzrývčatyj) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Russian: взрывно́й (vzryvnój) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Serbo-Croatian: е̏ксплозӣван — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Serbo-Croatian: ȅksplozīvan — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Slovak: výbušný — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Slovak: explozívny — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Slovene: eksploziven — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Spanish: explosivo — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Swedish: explosiv — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Turkish: patlayıcı — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Ukrainian: вибухо́вий (vybuxóvyj) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Welsh: ffrwydrol — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Yiddish: אויפֿרײַסיק (oyfraysik) — with the capability to, or likely to, explode
  • Bulgarian: взри́вен (vzríven) — having the character of an explosion
  • Chinese Mandarin: 爆炸的 (bàozhà de) — having the character of an explosion
  • Czech: výbušný — having the character of an explosion
  • Danish: eksplosiv — having the character of an explosion
  • Danish: eksplosionsagtig — having the character of an explosion
  • Finnish: räjähdysmäinen — having the character of an explosion
  • Galician: explosivo — having the character of an explosion
  • Greek: εκρηκτικός (ekriktikós) — having the character of an explosion
  • Portuguese: explosivo — having the character of an explosion
  • Russian: взрывно́й (vzryvnój) — having the character of an explosion
  • Spanish: explosivo — having the character of an explosion
  • Swedish: explosiv — having the character of an explosion
  • Swedish: explosionsartad — having the character of an explosion
  • Turkish: patlayıcı — having the character of an explosion
  • Welsh: ffrwydrol — having the character of an explosion
  • Bulgarian: избухли́в (izbuhlív) — easily driven to anger
  • Chinese Mandarin: 暴躁 (bàozào) — easily driven to anger
  • Czech: výbušný — easily driven to anger
  • Danish: heftig — easily driven to anger
  • Danish: opfarende — easily driven to anger
  • Finnish: räjähtävä — easily driven to anger
  • Finnish: äkkipikainen — easily driven to anger
  • German: aufbrausend — easily driven to anger
  • German: explosiv — easily driven to anger
  • Hungarian: robbanékony — easily driven to anger
  • Italian: irascibile — easily driven to anger
  • Italian: collerico — easily driven to anger
  • Italian: iracondo — easily driven to anger
  • Polish: wybuchowy — easily driven to anger
  • Portuguese: explosivo — easily driven to anger
  • Russian: вспы́льчивый (vspýlʹčivyj) — easily driven to anger
  • Turkish: fevri — easily driven to anger
  • Welsh: ffrwydrol — easily driven to anger
  • Welsh: chwyrn — easily driven to anger
  • Arabic: مُتَفَجِّرَة (mutafajjira) — explosive substance
  • Arabic: مَادَّة مُتَفَجِّرَة (mādda mutafajjira) — explosive substance
  • Armenian: պայթուցիկ նյութ (paytʻucʻik nyutʻ) — explosive substance
  • Azerbaijani: partlayıcı maddə — explosive substance
  • Azerbaijani: partladıcı — explosive substance
  • Belarusian: выбухо́вае рэ́чыва (vybuxóvaje réčyva) — explosive substance
  • Belarusian: выбухо́ўка (vybuxówka) — explosive substance
  • Belarusian: узрыўча́тка (uzrywčátka) — explosive substance
  • Bulgarian: експлози́в (eksplozív) — explosive substance
  • Bulgarian: взри́вно вещество́ (vzrívno veštestvó) — explosive substance
  • Catalan: explosiu — explosive substance
  • Cherokee: ᎠᏔᏍᎩᏍᎩ (atasgisgi) — explosive substance
  • Chinese Mandarin: 炸藥 /炸药 (zhàyào) — explosive substance
  • Chinese Mandarin: 爆炸物 (bàozhàwù) — explosive substance
  • Czech: výbušnina — explosive substance
  • Danish: sprængstof — explosive substance
  • Danish: eksplosiv — explosive substance
  • Dutch: explosief — explosive substance
  • Dutch: springstof — explosive substance
  • Dutch: plofstof — explosive substance
  • Estonian: lõhkeaine — explosive substance
  • Faroese: spreingievni — explosive substance
  • Finnish: räjähde — explosive substance
  • Finnish: räjähdysaine — explosive substance
  • French: explosif — explosive substance
  • Galician: explosivo — explosive substance
  • Georgian: ფეთქებადი ნივთიერება (petkebadi nivtiereba) — explosive substance
  • German: Sprengstoff — explosive substance
  • German: Sprengmittel — explosive substance
  • Hindi: विस्फोटक (visphoṭak) — explosive substance
  • Hungarian: robbanószer — explosive substance
  • Hungarian: robbanóanyag — explosive substance
  • Italian: esplosivo — explosive substance
  • Japanese: 爆発物 (bakuhatsubutsu) — explosive substance
  • Korean: 폭발물 (pokbalmul) — explosive substance
  • Lao: ວັດຖຸລະເບີດ (wat thu la bœ̄t) — explosive substance
  • Latin: explosivum — explosive substance
  • Latvian: sprāgstviela — explosive substance
  • Lithuanian: sprogmuo — explosive substance
  • Lithuanian: sprogstamoji medžiaga — explosive substance
  • Macedonian: експлози́в (eksplozív) — explosive substance
  • Marshallese: abba — explosive substance
  • Marshallese: bo̧kutan̄ — explosive substance
  • Mongolian: тэсрэх бодис (tesrex bodis) — explosive substance
  • Norwegian Bokmål: eksplosiv — explosive substance
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sprengstoff — explosive substance
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: eksplosiv — explosive substance
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: sprengstoff — explosive substance
  • Persian: مادهٔ منفجره (mâdde-ye monfajere) — explosive substance
  • Piedmontese: esplosiv — explosive substance
  • Plautdietsch: Sprenjstoff — explosive substance
  • Polish: materiał wybuchowy — explosive substance
  • Portuguese: explosivo — explosive substance
  • Romanian: exploziv — explosive substance
  • Russian: взры́вчатое вещество́ (vzrývčatoje veščestvó) — explosive substance
  • Russian: взрывча́тка (vzryvčátka) — explosive substance
  • Serbo-Croatian: експло̀зӣв — explosive substance
  • Serbo-Croatian: eksplòzīv — explosive substance
  • Slovak: výbušnina — explosive substance
  • Slovak: výbušné zariadenie — explosive substance
  • Slovene: eksploziv — explosive substance
  • Slovene: razstrelivo — explosive substance
  • Slovene: eksplozivna snov — explosive substance
  • Spanish: explosivo — explosive substance
  • Swedish: sprängmedel — explosive substance
  • Swedish: sprängämne — explosive substance
  • Tagalog: pampasabog — explosive substance
  • Thai: วัตถุระเบิด (wát-tù-rá-bə̀ət) — explosive substance
  • Turkish: patlayıcı madde — explosive substance
  • Ukrainian: вибухо́ва речовина́ (vybuxóva rečovyná) — explosive substance
  • Ukrainian: вибухі́вка (vybuxívka) — explosive substance
  • Vietnamese: chất nổ — explosive substance
  • Vietnamese: thuốc nổ — explosive substance
  • Welsh: ffrwydryn — explosive substance
Real reading context

explosive in complete knowledge articles