A violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction.

synonyms: blowup, detonation.

Roget 732: failure; nonsuccess^†, nonfulfillment; dead failure, successlessness^†; abortion, miscarriage; brutum fulmen etc. 158 [Lat.]; labor in vain etc. (inutility) 645; no go; inefficacy^†; inefficaciousness etc. adj.; vain attempt, ineffectual attempt, abortive attempt, abortive efforts; flash in the pan, lame and impotent conclusion" [Othello]; frustration; slip 'twixt cup and lip etc. (disappointment) 509.    blunder etc. (mistake) 495; fault, omission, miss, oversight, slip, trip, stumble, claudication^†, footfall; false step, wrong step; faux pas [Fr.], titubation^†, b_evue [Fr.], faute [Fr.], lurch; botchery etc. (want of skill) 699^†; scrape, mess, fiasco, breakdown; flunk [U.S.].    mishap etc. (misfortune) 735; split, collapse, smash, blow, explosion.    repulse, rebuff, defeat, rout, overthrow, discomfiture; beating, drubbing; quietus, nonsuit^†, subjugation; checkmate, stalemate, fool's mate.    fall, downfall, ruin, perdition; wreck etc. (destruction) 162; deathblow; bankruptcy etc. (nonpayment) 808.    losing game, affaire flamb_ee.    victim; bankrupt; flunker^†, flunky [U.S.].    ... show more

Roget 406: snap etc. v.; rapping etc. v.; decrepitation, crepitation; report, thud; burst, explosion, blast, boom, discharge, detonation, firing, salvo, volley.    squib, cracker, firecracker, cherry bomb, M80, gun, cap, cap gun, popgun.    implosion.    bomb burst, atomic explosion, nuclear explosion (arms) 727.    [explosive substances] gunpowder, dynamite, gun cotton, nitroglycerine, nitrocellulose, plastic explosive, plastique, TNT, cordite, trinitrotoluene, picric acid, picrates, mercury fulminate (arms) 727.    whack, wham, pow.    ... show more

Roget 276: impulse, impulsion, impetus; momentum; push, pulsion^†, thrust, shove, jog, jolt, brunt, booming, boost [U.S.], throw; explosion etc. (violence) 173; propulsion etc. 284.    percussion, concussion, collision, occursion^†, clash, encounter, cannon, carambole^†, appulse^†, shock, crash, bump; impact; elan; charge etc. (attack) 716; beating etc. (punishment) 972.    blow, dint, stroke, knock, tap, rap, slap, smack, pat, dab; fillip; slam, bang; hit, whack, thwack; cuff etc. 972; squash, dowse, swap, whap^†, punch, thump, pelt, kick, punce^†, calcitration^†; ruade^†; arietation^†; cut, thrust, lunge, yerk^†; carom, carrom^†, clip [Slang], jab, plug [Slang], sidewinder [U.S.], sidewipe^†, sideswipe [U.S.].    hammer, sledge hammer, mall, maul, mallet, flail; ram, rammer^†; battering ram, monkey, pile-driving engine, punch, bat; cant hook; cudgel etc. (weapon) 727; ax etc. (sharp) 253.    [Science of mechanical forces] dynamics; seismometer, accelerometer, earthquake detector.    ... show more

Roget 146: revolution, bouleversement, subversion, break up; destruction etc. 162; sudden change, radical change, sweeping organic change; change of state, phase change; quantum leap, quantum jump; clean sweep, coup d'etat [Fr.], counter revolution.    jump, leap, plunge, jerk, start, transilience^†; explosion; spasm, convulsion, throe, revulsion; storm, earthquake, cataclysm.    legerdemain etc. (trick) 545.    ... show more

Roget 173: violence, inclemency, vehemence, might, impetuosity; boisterousness etc. adj.; effervescence, ebullition; turbulence, bluster; uproar, callithump [U.S.], riot, row, rumpus, le diable a quatre [Fr.], devil to pay, all the fat in the fire.    severity etc. 739; ferocity, rage, fury; exacerbation, exasperation, malignity; fit, paroxysm; orgasm, climax, aphrodisia^†; force, brute force; outrage; coup de main; strain, shock, shog^†; spasm, convulsion, throe; hysterics, passion etc. (state of excitability) 825.    outbreak, outburst; debacle; burst, bounce, dissilience^†, discharge, volley, explosion, blow up, blast, detonation, rush, eruption, displosion^†, torrent.    turmoil etc. (disorder) 59; ferment etc. (agitation) 315; storm, tempest, rough weather; squall etc. (wind) 349; earthquake, volcano, thunderstorm.    berserk, berserker; fury, dragon, demon, tiger, beldame, Tisiphone^†, Megaera, Alecto^†, madcap, wild beast; fire eater etc. (blusterer) 887.    ... show more

Dutch: detonatie, explosie, ontploffing
Polish: detonacja, eksplozja, wybuch

The act of exploding or bursting:
— The explosion of the firecrackers awoke the children.

synonym: burst.

Roget 900: resentment, displeasure, animosity, anger, wrath, indignation; exasperation, bitter resentment, wrathful indignation.    pique, umbrage, huff, miff, soreness, dudgeon, acerbity, virulence, bitterness, acrimony, asperity, spleen, gall; heart-burning, heart-swelling; rankling.    ill humor, bad humor, ill temper, bad temper; irascibility etc. 901; ill blood etc. (hate) 898; revenge etc. 919.    excitement, irritation; warmth, bile, choler, ire, fume, pucker, dander, ferment, ebullition; towering passion, acharnement [Fr.], angry mood, taking, pet, tiff, passion, fit, tantrums.    burst, explosion, paroxysm, storm, rage, fury, desperation; violence etc. 173; fire and fury; vials of wrath; gnashing of teeth, hot blood, high words.    scowl etc. 895; sulks etc. 901.1. [Cause of umbrage] affront, provocation, offense; indignity etc. (insult) 929; grudge, crow to pluck, bone to pick, sore subject, casus belli [Lat.]; ill turn, outrage.    Furies, Eumenides.    buffet, slap in the face, box on the ear, rap on the knuckles.    ... show more

Roget 825: excitability, impetuosity, vehemence; boisterousness etc. adj.; turbulence; impatience, intolerance, nonendurance^†; irritability etc. (irascibility) 901; itching etc. (desire) 865; wincing; disquiet, disquietude; restlessness; fidgets, fidgetiness; agitation etc. (irregular motion) 315.    trepidation, perturbation, ruffle, hurry, fuss, flurry; fluster, flutter; pother, stew, ferment; whirl; buck fever; hurry-skurry^†, thrill etc. (feeling) 821; state of excitement, fever of excitement; transport.    passion, excitement, flush, heat; fever, heat; fire, flame, fume, blood boiling; tumult; effervescence, ebullition; boiling over; whiff, gust, story, tempest; scene, breaking out, burst, fit, paroxysm, explosion; outbreak, outburst; agony.    violence etc. 173; fierceness etc. adj.; rage, fury, furor, furore^†, desperation, madness, distraction, raving, delirium; phrensy^†, frenzy, hysterics; intoxication; tearing passion, raging passion; anger etc. 900.    fascination, infatuation, fanaticism; Quixotism, Quixotry; tete montee [Fr.].    ... show more

Dutch: eruptie
Polish: wybuchnięcie

A sudden great increase.

The noise caused by an explosion.

Polish: detonacja

The terminal forced release of pressure built up during the occlusive phase of a stop consonant.

synonym: plosion.

Polish: plozja

A sudden outburst.

A golf shot from a bunker that typically moves sand as well as the golf ball.