explode
//ɪkˈspləʊd//
Forms
- present (v1)
- explode
- past (v2)
- exploded
- past participle (v3)
- exploded
- present participle
- exploding
- 3rd person singular
- explodes
Definitions
1.To fly apart with sudden violent force; to blow up, to burst, to detonate, to go off.
2.To destroy with an explosion.
- The assassin exploded the car by means of a car bomb.
3.To make a violent or emotional outburst; to suddenly give expression to powerful and often negative or unpleasant emotion, especially anger.
- She exploded when I criticised her hat.
- “Nonsense!” Jack exploded at me. “Why Miss Bertram here knocked that theory into a cocked hat coming over on the train.”
- Dobbin […] fell back in the crowd, crowing and sputtering until he reached a safe distance, when he exploded amongst the astonished market-people with shrieks of yelling laughter.
4.To increase suddenly.
- When pigeons can come to a spot day in and day out for a guaranteed meal, their populations explode.
- Despite these products typically costing more, the market for organic food has exploded over the last couple of decades.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #3475
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
First recorded around 1538, from the Latin verb explōdere (“drive out or off by clapping”).
The meaning was originally theatrical, "to drive an actor off the stage by making noise," hence meaning to "to drive out" or "to reject".
From ex- (“out”) + plaudere (“to clap; to applaud”).