explosivePronunciation: /ɪkˈspləʊsɪv, ɛk-/Translate explosive | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of explosive adjective 1able or likely to shatter violently or burst apart:an explosive device (of a vocal sound) produced with a sharp release of air: Ruth let out an explosive sound of disbelief 2likely to cause an outburst of anger or controversy:Marco’s explosive temper the idea was politically explosive 3(of an increase) sudden and dramatic:the explosive growth of personal computers in the 1980s noun (often explosives) a substance which can be made to explode, especially any of those used in bombs or shells: stocks of explosives [mass noun]:a car full of explosiveDerivatives explosively adverb explosiveness noun explosive in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of explosive in the US English dictionary
