Explosive — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ik-ˈsplō-siv/ ex·plo·sive

Meaning & Definition of Explosive

Explosive (adjective)

  1. relating to, characterized by, or operated by explosion
  2. resulting from or as if from an explosion
  3. tending to explode

Explosive (noun)

  1. an explosive substance
  2. a consonant characterized by explosion in its articulation when it occurs in certain environments, stop

Explosive (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. extreme in degree, power, or effect

    "there's been an explosive interest in the sport since the Olympics"

    similar: acute, almighty, blistering, deep, dreadful, excruciating, exquisite, fearful, fearsome, ferocious, fierce, frightful, furious, ghastly, hard, heavy, heavy-duty, hellacious, intense, intensive, keen, profound, terrible, vehement, vicious, violent
    related: accentuated, aggravated, concentrated, deepened, emphasized, enhanced, heightened, intensified, magnified, stressed, exhaustive, thorough, harsh, rigorous, severe
    opposite: light, moderate, soft
    near: feeble, weak, shallow, superficial, moderated, qualified, alleviated, eased, lightened, toned (down), abated, decreased, diminished, lessened, reduced, subdued

  2. marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity

    "one of the most explosive storms to hit that area of the coast in some time"

    similar: bang-bang, blood-and-guts, convulsive, cyclonic, ferocious, fierce, furious, hammer-and-tongs, hot, knock-down, drag-out, paroxysmal, rabid, rough, stormy, tempestuous, tumultuous, turbulent, violent, volcanic
    related: barbarous, brutal, savage, vicious, antagonistic, hostile, aggressive, assertive, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, gladiatorial, pugnacious, quarrelsome, truculent, combustible, volatile, agitated, frantic, frenzied, mad, cataclysmal, destructive, ruinous
    opposite: nonviolent, peaceable, peaceful
    near: calm, halcyon, pacific, serene, tranquil, nonbelligerent, unaggressive

Explosive (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in bomb

    similar: bomb, torpedo, hazard, pitfall, snare, trap, claymore mine, land mine, ambush, net, web, booby trap, mine

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Explosive

The most common words with a similar meaning to Explosive:

acute, almighty, blistering, deep, dreadful, excruciating, exquisite, fearful, fearsome, ferocious, fierce, frightful, furious, ghastly, hard, heavy, heavy-duty, hellacious, intense, intensive, keen, profound, terrible, vehement, vicious, violent, bang-bang, blood-and-guts, convulsive, cyclonic, hammer-and-tongs, hot, knock-down, drag-out, paroxysmal, rabid, rough, stormy, tempestuous, tumultuous, turbulent

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Explosive

Words with the opposite meaning of Explosive:

light, moderate, soft, nonviolent, peaceable, peaceful

Related Words for Explosive

accentuated, aggravated, concentrated, deepened, emphasized, enhanced, heightened, intensified, magnified, stressed, exhaustive, thorough, harsh, rigorous, severe, barbarous, brutal, savage, antagonistic, hostile, aggressive, assertive, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, gladiatorial, pugnacious, quarrelsome, truculent

Near Antonyms of Explosive

feeble, weak, shallow, superficial, moderated, qualified, alleviated, eased, lightened, toned (down), abated, decreased, diminished, lessened, reduced, subdued, calm, halcyon, pacific, serene, tranquil, nonbelligerent, unaggressive

Word Forms of Explosive

Derived words: explosively (adverb), explosiveness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Explosive

First known use: 1696

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Explosive

Words & Phrases Containing Explosive

high explosive, plastic explosive

Frequently Asked Questions about Explosive

What does "Explosive" mean?

"Explosive" means relating to, characterized by, or operated by explosion. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: relating to, characterized by, or operated by explosion. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Explosive"?

Other words for "Explosive" include acute, almighty, blistering, deep, dreadful, excruciating, exquisite and fearful. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Explosive" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Explosive"?

There are 93 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Explosive". Common alternatives include acute, almighty, blistering, deep, dreadful, excruciating, exquisite, fearful, fearsome and ferocious.

What is the opposite of "Explosive"?

Antonyms of "Explosive" include light, moderate, soft, nonviolent, peaceable and peaceful. Near antonyms include feeble, weak, shallow and superficial.

How do you use "Explosive" in a sentence?

Examples of "Explosive" in a sentence: "there's been an explosive interest in the sport since the Olympics"; "one of the most explosive storms to hit that area of the coast in some time".

Is "Explosive" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Explosive" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Explosive" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Explosive" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Explosive"?

"Explosive" is pronounced /ik-ˈsplō-siv/ and divided into syllables as ex·plo·sive.