explode
/iks'ploud/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb (Intransitive):
- To burst or shatter violently and noisily as a result of rapid combustion, excessive internal pressure, or other violent release of energy: The primary meaning, referring to a sudden, violent bursting with a loud noise.
- To increase suddenly, rapidly, and uncontrollably: To expand or increase in number, size, or intensity at a very fast rate.
- To show or express a sudden, violent emotion: To express a strong emotion, especially anger, suddenly and forcefully.
- To break out or occur suddenly and violently: To begin or happen with sudden force.
Verb (Transitive):
- To cause to burst or blow up violently and noisily: To detonate or make something burst apart.
- To show (a theory, belief, or myth) to be false or baseless; to refute conclusively: To destroy the credibility of an idea by proving it wrong.
- To discredit or reject suddenly and forcefully: To drive someone or something from a position by strong disapproval or refutation.
Usage Examples
Intransitive Verb:
- The fireworks exploded in a shower of colorful sparks. (The fireworks burst apart with noise and light.)
- The city's population exploded after the discovery of gold. (The city's population increased very rapidly.)
- He finally exploded with rage after hours of frustration. (He finally expressed his anger violently and suddenly.)
Transitive Verb:
- The demolition team exploded the old building safely. (The team caused the building to burst apart.)
- The scientist's new data exploded the long-held theory. (The new data proved the old theory completely false.)
- The audience exploded the bad actor off the stage with their boos. (The audience drove the actor away with loud disapproval.)
Advanced Usage
- "to explode into": to suddenly begin an activity or change into a state with great energy.
- The quiet meeting exploded into a heated argument. (The meeting suddenly became a violent argument.)
- "to explode onto the scene": to appear or become successful very suddenly and noticeably.
- The new band exploded onto the music scene last year. (The band became very famous very quickly.)
Variants and Related Words
- Explosion (n): The act or instance of exploding; a sudden, violent burst.
- The explosion could be heard for miles.
- Explosive (adj/n): (Adj.) Able or likely to explode; (n.) A substance that can cause an explosion.
- The situation was highly explosive. (Adj.)
- The police found explosives in the car. (n.)
- Exploder (n): A person or device that causes an explosion (less common).
Synonyms
- Detonate: To explode, especially in a planned or controlled manner (often for bombs).
- Blow up: To explode or cause to explode (more informal).
- Erupt: To burst out suddenly and violently (often for volcanoes, violence, or emotions).
- Disprove: To show that something is not true (for the "refute" meaning).
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Explode with: To be suddenly full of a strong emotion.
- She exploded with laughter at the joke. (She suddenly started laughing very hard.)
- Explode in/into: To suddenly change into a particular state, often a violent one.
- The protest exploded into a riot. (The protest suddenly became a riot.)
Related Idioms
- Explode a bombshell: To reveal shocking or surprising news.
- The journalist exploded a bombshell with her latest report. (The journalist revealed very surprising news.)
- Have/be a short fuse: To be quick to anger (this idiom describes a person who is likely to with anger easily).
- Be careful what you say; the boss has a very short fuse. (The boss gets angry very easily.)
Verb
- increase rapidly and in an uncontrolled manner
- The population of India is exploding
- The island's rodent population irrupted
- burst and release energy as through a violent chemical or physical reaction
- the bomb detonated at noon
- The Molotov cocktail exploded
- show (a theory or claim) to be baseless, or refute and make obsolete
- drive from the stage by noisy disapproval
- cause to burst as a result of air pressure; of stop consonants like /p/, /t/, and /k/
- destroy by exploding
- The enemy exploded the bridge
- be unleashed; emerge with violence or noise
- His anger exploded
- show a violent emotional reaction
- The boss exploded when he heard of the resignation of the secretary
- burst outward, usually with noise
- The champagne bottle exploded
- cause to burst with a violent release of energy
- We exploded the nuclear bomb