dy·na·mite
ˈdī-nə-ˌmīt 
1
: an explosive that is made of nitroglycerin absorbed in a porous material and that often contains ammonium nitrate or cellulose nitrate
also
: an explosive (such as a mixture of ammonium nitrate and nitrocellulose) that contains no nitroglycerin
2
: one that has a powerful effect
an actress who's dynamite at the box office
also
: something that has great potential to cause trouble or conflict
an issue regarded as political dynamite
dynamited; dynamiting
dynamiter
noun
Synonyms
Adjective
- A-OK
- A1
- awesome
- bang-up
- banner
- beautiful
- blue-chip
- blue-ribbon
- boffo
- bonny [chiefly British]
- bonnie
- boss [slang]
- brag
- brave
- bully
- bumper
- capital
- choice
- classic
- cool [slang]
- corking
- crackerjack
- cracking
- dandy
- divine
- dope [slang]
- down [slang]
- excellent
- fab
- fabulous
- famous
- fantabulous [slang]
- fantastic
- fine
- first-class
- first-rate
- first-string
- five-star
- four-star
- frontline
- gangbusters
- gangbuster
- gilt-edged
- gilt-edge
- gone [slang]
- grand
- great
- groovy
- heavenly
- high-class
- hot
- hype [slang]
- immense
- jim-dandy
- keen
- lovely
- marvelous
- marvellous
- mean
- neat
- nifty
- noble
- number one
- No. 1
- numero uno
- out-of-sight [slang]
- par excellence
- peachy
- peachy keen
- phat [slang]
- prime
- primo [slang]
- prize
- prizewinning
- quality
- radical [slang]
- righteous [slang]
- sensational
- slick
- splendid
- stellar
- sterling
- superb
- superior
- superlative
- supernal
- swell
- terrific
- tip-top
- top
- top-notch
- top-of-the-line
- top-shelf
- topflight
- topping [chiefly British]
- unsurpassed
- wizard [chiefly British]
- wonderful
Examples of dynamite in a Sentence
Noun
The death penalty is political dynamite.
Verb
They plan to dynamite the old building.
Adjective
They put on a dynamite performance.
a summer blockbuster that features some really dynamite special effects
Recent Examples on the Web
Audrey Kurth Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 22 Nov. 2023
Two supervisors had candy boxes stuffed with dynamite delivered to their homes.
—Cathleen Decker, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2023
Here are some things to know about the Nobel Prizes:
An idea more powerful than dynamite
The Nobel Prizes were created by Alfred Nobel, a 19th-century businessman and chemist from Sweden.
—Karl Ritter, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2023
Annual prizes for achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace were established in the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite, who died in 1896.
—Niclas Rolander, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2023
The honor is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in 1895.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Oct. 2023
Explore Kaylee Shimizu The Beatles See latest videos, charts and news
The 17-year-old gave us feathery touches, through to the dynamite, and earned a four-chair turn.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 4 Oct. 2023
The inventor of dynamite reportedly left about $265 million dollars to fund the prizes, officially launched in 1901, meant to honor men and women from around the world for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and fostering peace.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2023
Klansmen had placed a bundle of dynamite outside the church under a set of stairs on that day in 1963.
—Kimberly Chandler The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2023
Vulture, 20 Oct. 2023
In light of that, celebrity couples have seemed to turn inward, dynamiting and detonating their long-term partnerships.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 9 Aug. 2023
New York ended up dynamiting spaces out of bedrock rather than impose the solution worked out by every multi-child family in history.
—Curbed, 13 Feb. 2023
Three years ago, his 20-year-old brother, while farming, was struck in the head during a rockfall caused by dynamiting, Mamoudou recounted.
—Rachel Chason and Chloe Sharrock, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Apr. 2023
Over a three-year period, the aqueduct was dynamited more than a dozen times.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2023
Catton’s big theme is plunder, and her millennial crusaders are as fervent in their protection of New Zealand’s resources as Lemoine is determined to dynamite and exploit them.
—Hillary Kelly, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2023
Our carefully curated list includes only the cream of the crop – the dynamite your romantic partner is dreaming of.
—Dallas News, 30 Nov. 2022
Dirty bombs use conventional explosives like dynamite placed alongside radioactive material, which is then thrown outward by the blast.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2022
Glenn Graham, Baltimore Sun, 28 July 2023
Survivor: Redemption Island The first three episodes were dynamite, but then the fuse blew out.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 18 May 2023
And together, the coaches are dynamite.
—Billboard Staff, Billboard, 21 Sep. 2021
Life is dynamite, indeed.
—Christopher Rosa, Glamour, 17 Dec. 2020
Back in 2008, Tech had a swashbuckling coach with a fondness for all things pirates in Mike Leach and a dynamite pass-catch combination in Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree that collaborated on the winning touchdown.
—Dallas News, 24 Sep. 2022
The dynamite combination of clams and black pudding (blood sausage) married land and sea, the Christmas spices and iodine tang of the pudding and the briny sweetness of the clams knitted together with apple, onions, parsley, and a cider gastrique.
—Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2023
For better or worse, that’s the kind of stuff that really drives culture in 2023 — though it should be said that none of this off-court interest would last (or likely even exist at the first place) without a dynamite pop song at the center of it.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 25 Jan. 2023
Grier shared Jimi Hendrix stories, Redd spilled tea about maybe kinda sorta being high for his Saturday Night Live audition, and Andy Cohen did a dynamite job of seeming like someone who’s cool with people being high on their live television show.
—Vulture, 4 Nov. 2022
See More
Noun
In fact, modern terrorism can be chalked up to the invention of dynamite in 1867.
—Audrey Kurth Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 22 Nov. 2023
Two supervisors had candy boxes stuffed with dynamite delivered to their homes.
—Cathleen Decker, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2023
Here are some things to know about the Nobel Prizes:
An idea more powerful than dynamite
The Nobel Prizes were created by Alfred Nobel, a 19th-century businessman and chemist from Sweden.
—Karl Ritter, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2023
Annual prizes for achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace were established in the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite, who died in 1896.
—Niclas Rolander, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2023
The honor is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in 1895.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Oct. 2023
Explore Kaylee Shimizu The Beatles See latest videos, charts and news
The 17-year-old gave us feathery touches, through to the dynamite, and earned a four-chair turn.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 4 Oct. 2023
The inventor of dynamite reportedly left about $265 million dollars to fund the prizes, officially launched in 1901, meant to honor men and women from around the world for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and fostering peace.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2023
Klansmen had placed a bundle of dynamite outside the church under a set of stairs on that day in 1963.
—Kimberly Chandler The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2023
Verb
The gossip-curious hoping Sonic Love is a tell-all dishing how and why Moore could dynamite the Royal Couple of art rock will leave unfulfilled.
—Vulture, 20 Oct. 2023
In light of that, celebrity couples have seemed to turn inward, dynamiting and detonating their long-term partnerships.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 9 Aug. 2023
New York ended up dynamiting spaces out of bedrock rather than impose the solution worked out by every multi-child family in history.
—Curbed, 13 Feb. 2023
Three years ago, his 20-year-old brother, while farming, was struck in the head during a rockfall caused by dynamiting, Mamoudou recounted.
—Rachel Chason and Chloe Sharrock, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Apr. 2023
Over a three-year period, the aqueduct was dynamited more than a dozen times.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2023
Catton’s big theme is plunder, and her millennial crusaders are as fervent in their protection of New Zealand’s resources as Lemoine is determined to dynamite and exploit them.
—Hillary Kelly, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2023
Our carefully curated list includes only the cream of the crop – the dynamite your romantic partner is dreaming of.
—Dallas News, 30 Nov. 2022
Dirty bombs use conventional explosives like dynamite placed alongside radioactive material, which is then thrown outward by the blast.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2022
Adjective
And attackman McCabe Millon was dynamite when the ball was in his stick.
—Glenn Graham, Baltimore Sun, 28 July 2023
Survivor: Redemption Island The first three episodes were dynamite, but then the fuse blew out.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 18 May 2023
And together, the coaches are dynamite.
—Billboard Staff, Billboard, 21 Sep. 2021
Life is dynamite, indeed.
—Christopher Rosa, Glamour, 17 Dec. 2020
Back in 2008, Tech had a swashbuckling coach with a fondness for all things pirates in Mike Leach and a dynamite pass-catch combination in Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree that collaborated on the winning touchdown.
—Dallas News, 24 Sep. 2022
The dynamite combination of clams and black pudding (blood sausage) married land and sea, the Christmas spices and iodine tang of the pudding and the briny sweetness of the clams knitted together with apple, onions, parsley, and a cider gastrique.
—Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2023
For better or worse, that’s the kind of stuff that really drives culture in 2023 — though it should be said that none of this off-court interest would last (or likely even exist at the first place) without a dynamite pop song at the center of it.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 25 Jan. 2023
Grier shared Jimi Hendrix stories, Redd spilled tea about maybe kinda sorta being high for his Saturday Night Live audition, and Andy Cohen did a dynamite job of seeming like someone who’s cool with people being high on their live television show.
—Vulture, 4 Nov. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dynamite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Greek dýnamis "power, strength" + -ite entry 1 — more at dynamic entry 1
Note: Though the principal figure in the development of dynamite, Alfred nobel, was Swedish, the earliest patent for the substance (May, 1867) was filed in the United Kingdom, so the word was effectively first introduced in English rather than in Swedish or German.
Verb
derivative of dynamite entry 1
Adjective
from attributive use of dynamite entry 1
Dictionary Entries Near dynamite
Cite this Entry
“Dynamite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dynamite. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
dynamite
1 of 2 noun
dy·na·mite
ˈdī-nə-ˌmīt
: an explosive that is made chiefly of nitroglycerin absorbed in another substance
also
: an explosive that contains no nitroglycerin
dynamite
2 of 2 verb
dynamited; dynamiting
: to blow up with dynamite
dynamiter
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on dynamite
Nglish: Translation of dynamite for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of dynamite for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dynamite
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