noun
dynamite
DUH-ih-nuh-muh-iht
noun
1
A powerful explosive made from nitroglycerin absorbed into a stabilising material, used for blasting and demolition.
"Miners used dynamite to clear the rockfall blocking the tunnel."
2
Something remarkably exciting, impressive, or dangerous.
"Her debut album turned out to be pure dynamite."
verb
1
To blow something up using dynamite or a similar explosive.
"The crew dynamited the old bridge to make way for a new one."
How to Use Dynamite
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA strong explosive — or, informally, anything thrillingly powerful or impressive.
Common pairings
stick of dynamite
pure dynamite
dynamite a building
Word Forms
dynamited past tense, dynamites plural, dynamites singular
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Etymology
Coined in 1867 by Alfred Nobel, built from Ancient Greek dúnamis ("power") plus the suffix "-ite".