DETONATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does detonate mean? 

• DETONATE (verb)
  The verb DETONATE has 2 senses:

1. cause to burst with a violent release of energy

2. burst and release energy as through a violent chemical or physical reaction

  Familiarity information: DETONATE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DETONATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they detonate    ... he / she / it detonates   
Past simple: detonated   
Past participle: detonated   
-ing form: detonating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause to burst with a violent release of energy

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

blow up; detonate; explode; set off

Context example:

We exploded the nuclear bomb

Hypernyms (to "detonate" is one way to...):

change integrity (change in physical make-up)

Cause:

blow up; detonate; explode (burst and release energy as through a violent chemical or physical reaction)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "detonate"):

fulminate (cause to explode violently and with loud noise)

dynamite (blow up with dynamite)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

detonation (the act of detonating an explosive)

detonative (exploding almost instantaneously)

detonator (a mechanical or electrical explosive device or a small amount of explosive; can be used to initiate the reaction of a disrupting explosive)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Burst and release energy as through a violent chemical or physical reaction

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

blow up; detonate; explode

Context example:

The Molotov cocktail exploded

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

detonation (a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction)

detonative (exploding almost instantaneously)

 Context examples 

The Cold War tests, which detonated explosives at heights from 16 to 250 miles above the surface, mimicked some of these natural effects.

(Space Weather Events Linked to Human Activity, NASA)