explode
verb /ɪkˈspləʊd/
/ɪkˈspləʊd/
Word Family
- explode verb
- explosion noun
- explosive adjective noun
- unexploded adjective
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they explode | /ɪkˈspləʊd/ /ɪkˈspləʊd/ |
| he / she / it explodes | /ɪkˈspləʊdz/ /ɪkˈspləʊdz/ |
| past simple exploded | /ɪkˈspləʊdɪd/ /ɪkˈspləʊdɪd/ |
| past participle exploded | /ɪkˈspləʊdɪd/ /ɪkˈspləʊdɪd/ |
| -ing form exploding | /ɪkˈspləʊdɪŋ/ /ɪkˈspləʊdɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to burst (= break apart) or make something burst loudly and violently, causing damage synonym blow up
- A second bomb exploded in a crowded market.
- The firework exploded in his hand.
- explode something Bomb disposal experts exploded the device under controlled conditions.
- There was a huge bang as if someone had exploded a rocket outside.
Synonyms explodeexplodecompare implode- blow up
- go off
- burst
- erupt
- detonate
- explode to burst (= to break open or apart) loudly and violently, causing damage; to make something burst in this way:
- The jet smashed into a hillside and exploded.
- The bomb was exploded under controlled conditions.
- blow (something) up to be destroyed by an explosion; to destroy something by an explosion:
- A police officer was killed when his car blew up.
- go off (of a bomb) to explode; (of a gun) to be fired:
- The bomb went off in a crowded street.
- burst to break open or apart, especially because of pressure from inside; to make something break in this way:
- That balloon’s going to burst.
- erupt (of a volcano) to throw out burning rocks and smoke; (of burning rocks and smoke) to be thrown out of a volcano.
- detonate (rather formal) (of a bomb) to explode; to make a bomb explode:
- Two other bombs failed to detonate.
- a bomb explodes/blows up/goes off/bursts/detonates
- a car/plane/vehicle explodes/blows up
- a firework/rocket explodes/goes off
- a gun goes off
Extra ExamplesTopics War and conflictb1- The chemical is liable to explode on contact with water.
- A blast bomb was thrown but the device failed to explode.
- The jet smashed into a hillside and exploded.
- My heart was nearly exploding in fright.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- simultaneously
- accidentally
- prematurely
- …
- fail to
- [intransitive, transitive] (of a person or situation) to suddenly become very angry or dangerous
- Tension between the two sides could explode at any time.
- explode with something Suddenly Charles exploded with rage.
- explode into something The protest exploded into a riot.
- + speech ‘Of course there's something wrong!’ Jem exploded.
Extra ExamplesTopics Dangerc2, Feelingsc2- She almost exploded with anger.
- A disagreement over public spending is set to explode.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- literally
- nearly
- practically
- …
- be about to
- be ready to
- be set to
- …
- into
- with
- [intransitive] explode (into/with something) to suddenly express an emotion
- We all exploded into wild laughter.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- literally
- nearly
- practically
- …
- be about to
- be ready to
- be set to
- …
- into
- with
- [intransitive] explode (into something) to suddenly and quickly do something; to move suddenly with a lot of force
- After ten minutes the game exploded into life.
- He suddenly exploded into action.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- literally
- nearly
- practically
- …
- be about to
- be ready to
- be set to
- …
- into
- with
- [intransitive] to make a sudden very loud noise
- Thunder exploded overhead.
- [intransitive] to increase suddenly and very quickly in number
- the exploding world population
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- literally
- nearly
- practically
- …
- be about to
- be ready to
- be set to
- …
- into
- with
- [transitive] explode something to show that something is not true, especially something that people believe
- At last, a women's magazine to explode the myth that thin equals beautiful.
- The report explodes the theory that there was a conspiracy.
break apart violently
get angry/dangerous
express emotion
move suddenly
make loud noise
increase quickly
show something is not true
Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘reject scornfully’): from Latin explodere ‘drive out by clapping, hiss off the stage’, from ex- ‘out’ + plaudere ‘to clap’. Sense (7) is derived from the original sense of the word. Sense (1) (late 18th cent.) evolved via an old sense ‘expel with violence and sudden noise’, perhaps influenced by obsolete displode ‘burst with a noise’.