ballistic
adjective
bal·lis·tic bə-ˈli-stik 
1
: extremely and usually suddenly excited, upset, or angry : wild
He went ballistic when he saw the dent in his car.
and the crowd goes ballistic
2
: of or relating to the science of the motion of projectiles in flight
3
exercise : being or characterized by repeated bouncing
ballistic stretching
4
physics, of an object in motion : behaving like a projectile
But the Bell Labs switch uses such a low current that the few ballistic electrons are a distance of a micrometer or more apart …
Robert Pool
Robert Pool5
of a material : capable of resisting or stopping bullets or other projectiles
ballistic glass
ballistic nylon
… engineered specifically to be worn under ballistic vests and shirts. K. M. Reese
K. M. Reese ballistically
bə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē
adverb 
Synonyms
- angered
- angry
- apoplectic
- cheesed off [chiefly British]
- choleric
- enraged
- foaming
- fuming
- furious
- hopping
- horn-mad
- hot
- incensed
- indignant
- inflamed
- enflamed
- infuriate
- infuriated
- irate
- ireful
- livid
- mad
- outraged
- rabid
- rankled
- riled
- riley
- roiled
- shirty [chiefly British]
- sore
- steamed up
- steaming
- teed off
- ticked
- wrathful
- wroth
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
she went ballistic when she discovered her brother reading her e-mail
Recent Examples on the Web China’s military fired ballistic missiles over Taiwan last month to protest Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island, the first such trip by a House speaker in a quarter century. Daniel Flatley, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2022 For example, countries with ballistic missiles and missile-defense systems could develop the technology for a missile that could destroy spacecraft. WIRED, 15 Sep. 2022 The plane, a Boeing 737-800 bound for Kyiv, was shot down near Tehran on Jan. 8, 2020, hours after Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at an Iraqi military base hosting U.S. personnel. Claire Parker, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2022 China stepped up military activity around the self-governing island in the days following her visit, conducting live drills that included rockets and ballistic-missiles. Rebecca Feng, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 The two unnamed destroyers will protect Japan from ballistic missiles from North Korea and China, missiles that could be armed with chemical—or even nuclear—warheads. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 12 Sep. 2022 Long-range ballistic missiles can deliver nuclear weapons at extremely high speeds from distances as far as 10,000 miles from the target. Lee Roop | Lroop@al.com, al, 31 Aug. 2022 The battery has stayed on ever since, and now provides protection against Chinese ballistic missiles. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 29 Aug. 2022 The military fired ballistic missiles into the waters off Taiwan, 80 miles off China’s coast, sending at least four high over the island itself, according to Japan, and conducted exercises in zones closer to the island than ever before. New York Times, 25 Aug. 2022 See More
Daniel Flatley, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2022 For example, countries with ballistic missiles and missile-defense systems could develop the technology for a missile that could destroy spacecraft. WIRED, 15 Sep. 2022 The plane, a Boeing 737-800 bound for Kyiv, was shot down near Tehran on Jan. 8, 2020, hours after Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at an Iraqi military base hosting U.S. personnel. Claire Parker, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2022 China stepped up military activity around the self-governing island in the days following her visit, conducting live drills that included rockets and ballistic-missiles. Rebecca Feng, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 The two unnamed destroyers will protect Japan from ballistic missiles from North Korea and China, missiles that could be armed with chemical—or even nuclear—warheads. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 12 Sep. 2022 Long-range ballistic missiles can deliver nuclear weapons at extremely high speeds from distances as far as 10,000 miles from the target. Lee Roop | Lroop@al.com, al, 31 Aug. 2022 The battery has stayed on ever since, and now provides protection against Chinese ballistic missiles. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 29 Aug. 2022 The military fired ballistic missiles into the waters off Taiwan, 80 miles off China’s coast, sending at least four high over the island itself, according to Japan, and conducted exercises in zones closer to the island than ever before. New York Times, 25 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
borrowed from New Latin ballisticus "relating to the motion of projectiles in flight," from Latin ballista ballista + New Latin -icus -ic entry 1
Note: The Latin word was apparently introduced by the French priest and polymath Marin Mersenne (1588-1648) in Ballistica et acontismologia, a section (with separate title page) of his Cogitata physico-mathematica (Paris, 1644).
First Known Use
1764, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Phrases Containing ballistic
ballistic
adjective
as in angry
feeling or showing anger she went ballistic when she discovered her brother reading her e-mail Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- angry
- mad
- furious
- indignant
- enraged
- outraged
- infuriated
- angered
- infuriate
- foaming
- rabid
- apoplectic
- steaming
- hot
- passionate
- sore
- wrathful
- livid
- steamed up
- riley
- fuming
- incensed
- hopping
- irritable
- irate
- ticked
- cheesed off
- choleric
- annoyed
- hot under the collar
- inflamed
- blue in the face
- hopping mad
- horn-mad
- bent out of shape
- teed off
- riled
- in a pet
- bristling
- roiled
- cross
- going crook
- aggravated
- antagonistic
- boiling
- rankled
- in a fume
- exasperated
- in a huff
- raving
- enflamed
- sizzling
- smoldering
- ireful
- virulent
- shirty
- vindictive
- fit to be tied
- vitriolic
- wroth
- vengeful
- icy
- spiteful
- ranting
- acrimonious
- seething
- malevolent
- burning
- huffy
- antipathetic
- cold
- antisocial
- unpleasant
- perturbed
- stormy
- belligerent
- frigid
- acrid
- distant
- embittered
- worked up
- inflammable
- unfriendly
- pugnacious
- bilious
- bristly
- petulant
- churlish
- sulky
- smouldering
- peevish
- inimical
- disagreeable
- put out
- irascible
- disapproving
- touchy
- cool
- snappish
- bitter
- dyspeptic
- rancorous
- soreheaded
- grouchy
- resentful
- cantankerous
- testy
- fretful
- argumentative
- ornery
- bearish
- sorehead
- contentious
- crabby
- grumpy
- ill-tempered
- piqued
- disputatious
- cranky
- contrary
- fussy
- wrought (up)
- quarrelsome
- querulous
- ill-humored
- quick-tempered
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- friendly
- angerless
- content
- accepting
- delighted
- amenable
- sympathetic
- accommodating
- agreeable
- cordial
- pleased
- amicable
- tolerant
- complaisant
- empathetic
- pacific
- understanding
- happy
- kind
- calm
- obliging
- satisfied
- sweet
- peaceable
- placid
- tranquil
- serene
- amiable
- pleasant
- unembittered
- easygoing
- affable
- genial
- good-natured
- good-tempered