HOW TO PRONOUNCE
explosive
/ɛkˈsploʊsɪv/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:03
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What does explosive mean?
adjective
- Able to, or likely to, explode.
- 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.
More meanings (6)
adjective
- (figuratively) Rapidly accelerating.
- (figuratively) Shocking; startling.
- (slang) Easily driven to anger, usually with reference to a person.
- (archaic) Synonym of plosive.
noun
- Any explosive substance.
- (dated) A plosive.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ɛkˈsploʊsɪv/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
The possession of the “mysterious iron,” and the explosive dirt, or “pulverized coal,” as it is called, filled me with new thoughts.
With explosive "chips" flaming and flashing, he met dangers that sent all the other birds beside the shining river racing to cover.
More book examples (3)
A passing ship or submarine may circumvent these explosive obstructions, but such a successful manoeuvre is generally a matter of good luck.
The discovery of envy, which is less forgiving than hatred, less explosive, much profounder and much more extensive, is incomparably more difficult.
From a short distance inland the explosive blowing as they came to the surface sounded like the irregular exhaust of a steam-engine.