unexploded
/,ʌniks'ploudid/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
AdjectiveDescribing an explosive device (such as a bomb, shell, or mine) that has been deployed or dropped but has not yet detonated. It remains dangerous and retains its potential to explode.
Usage
The adjective "unexploded" is used almost exclusively to modify nouns referring to explosive munitions or ordnance. It describes a hazardous, dormant state. It is typically used in formal, military, journalistic, or historical contexts.
Examples
- The area was evacuated after the discovery of an unexploded artillery shell from the war.
- Bomb disposal experts were called to safely remove the unexploded device.
- Decades after the conflict, farmers still risk encountering unexploded ordnance in their fields.
Advanced Usage
- Unexploded Ordnance (UXO): This is a standard technical term used by military and humanitarian organizations to categorize any explosive weapon (bombs, bullets, shells, grenades, mines, etc.) that has been primed, fused, armed, or otherwise prepared for use, and has been fired, dropped, launched, or projected yet has failed to function as intended.
- The construction project was delayed due to the need for a comprehensive Unexploded Ordnance survey.
Variants and Related Words
- Unexploded Bomb (UXB): A more specific term for an aerial bomb or similar device that has failed to detonate.
- Dud (noun, informal): A general term for ammunition that fails to fire or explode. While similar, "dud" is broader and less formal than "unexploded."
- Live (adjective, in this context): Often used interchangeably with "unexploded" to mean still capable of exploding (e.g., ).
Synonyms
- Undetonated
- Live (in military/explosives context)
- Active (in explosives context)
Antonyms
- Exploded
- Detonated
- Spent
- Inert (specifically for deactivated explosives)
Adjective
- still capable of exploding or being fired
- undischarged ammunition
- an unexploded bomb