explosive

1 of 2

adjective

ex·​plo·​sive ik-ˈsplō-siv 

-ziv

1

a

: relating to, characterized by, or operated by explosion

an explosive hatch

b

: resulting from or as if from an explosion

explosive population growth

2

a

: tending to explode

an explosive person

b

: likely to erupt in or produce hostile reaction or violence

an explosive situation

explosively adverb

explosiveness noun

explosive

2 of 2

noun

1

: an explosive substance

2

: a consonant characterized by explosion in its articulation when it occurs in certain environments : stop

Synonyms of explosive

Adjective

• intense
• intensive
• ferocious
• fierce
• deep
• terrible
• violent
• heavy
• furious

Examples of explosive in a Sentence

Adjective

He has an explosive temper.

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Defensive Tackle David Stone, Oklahoma Will Echoles, Mississippi Stone (6-3, 315) is extremely long and explosive. — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Anthropic has experienced explosive growth this year, partly because of the success of its popular AI coding assistant, Claude Code. — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 22 July 2026

Noun

In the latest twist on battlefield innovations, Ukraine has used both flying drone carriers and drone boats to send ground robots armed with weapons or explosives into battle. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2026

On the other side of the line, satellite imagery shows that Israeli forces have leveled the vast majority of buildings using bulldozers and explosives, virtually erasing several towns and Rafah, once home to more than a quarter-million people. — Lee Keath, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1696, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1773, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing explosive

• high explosive
• plastic explosive

Rhymes for explosive

• corrosive
• erosive
• noncorrosive
• plosive

Kids Definition

explosive

1 of 2 adjective

ex·​plo·​sive ik-ˈsplō-siv 

-ziv

1

: able to cause explosion

the explosive power of gunpowder

2

: likely to explode

an explosive temper

explosively adverb

explosiveness noun

explosive

2 of 2 noun

: an explosive substance