ballistic en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /bəˈlɪs.tɪk/
- (US) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-der. Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō Ancient Greek βᾰ́λλω (bắllō) Ancient Greek βαλλίστρᾱ (ballístrā)der. Latin ballista Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English ballistic From Latin ballista (“a military siege engine for throwing stones”) + -ic.
Meanings
- (not-comparable) Of or relating to ballistics.
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(comparable) Of or relating to projectiles moving under their own momentum, aerodynamic drag, gravity, and sometimes rocket power, without significant lift.
Russia used its powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile for a third time in Ukraine as part of a massive attack on Kyiv and its surrounding region that killed at least four people and injured about 100.
2026 May 24, Jennifer Rankin, “Russia hits Kyiv with hypersonic ballistic missile in ‘deranged’ attack”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 24 May 2026:
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(comparable, slang) Very angry.
When he heard him lie about it, he went ballistic.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most ballistic | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more ballistic | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
projectile · guided · antiballistic
Deriveds
ballistically · aeroballistic · microballistic · go ballistic · antiballistic · subballistic · ballistic coefficient · quasiballistic · ballisticity · ballistic knife · ballistician · nonballistic · ballistic pendulum · thermoballistic · ballistical · astroballistic · ballistic parachute · bioballistic · cardioballistic · ballistic podiatry · neuroballistic · ballistic trauma · semiballistic · ballistic syllable · electroballistic · ballistic gelatin · ballochory · ballistic vest · ballistics · ballistic missile · superballistic
Synonyms
Translations (37)
it balistico (relating to ballistics) · da ballistisk (relating to ballistics) · ja 弾道の (relating to ballistics) · ca balístic (relating to ballistics) · sh balìstičkī (relating to ballistics) · be балісты́чны (relating to ballistics) · es balístico (relating to ballistics) · eo balistika (relating to ballistics) · cs balistický (relating to ballistics) · lv ballistisks (relating to ballistics) · et ballistiline (relating to ballistics) · sh балѝстичкӣ (relating to ballistics) · pl balistyczny (relating to ballistics) · uk балісти́чний (relating to ballistics) · fa-ira بالستیک (relating to ballistics) · ar بَالِسْتِيّ (relating to ballistics) · de ballistisch (relating to ballistics) · sl balističen (relating to ballistics) · cy balistig (relating to ballistics) · ga balaistíoch (relating to ballistics) · nb ballistisk (relating to ballistics) · ro balistic (relating to ballistics) · fi ballistinen (relating to ballistics) · bg балисти́чен (relating to ballistics) · ka ბალისტიკური (relating to ballistics) · pt balístico (relating to ballistics) · ko 탄도의 (relating to ballistics) · yi באַליסטיש (relating to ballistics) · nl ballistisch (relating to ballistics) · mk балистички (relating to ballistics) · sq balistik (relating to ballistics) · fr balistique (relating to ballistics) · lt balistinis (relating to ballistics) · cmn 彈道的 /弹道的 (relating to ballistics) · sk balistický (relating to ballistics) · sv ballistisk (relating to ballistics) · ru баллисти́ческий (relating to ballistics)