Dictionary

dynamite en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈdʌɪnəmʌɪt/ (UK)
• /ˈdaɪ.nəˌmaɪt/ (US)
• /ˈdɪ.nəˌmaɪt/ (obsolete)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Coined by Alfred Nobel in 1867. Ultimately from Ancient Greek δύναμις (dúnamis, “power”) + -ite, most likely under the influence of dynamo or dynamic.

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) A class of explosives made from nitroglycerine in an absorbent medium such as kieselguhr, used in mining and blasting.
2. (informal, proscribed, uncountable, usually) A stick of trinitrotoluene (TNT).
3. (figuratively, slang, uncountable, usually) Anything exceptionally dangerous, exciting or wonderful.
   • And your shoulders are frozen (Cold as the night) / Oh, but you're an explosion (You're dynamite) 2005, Alex Turner, “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor”, performed by Arctic Monkeys:
   • Even though sometimes I take differing views from some articles and letters in GCN, I think it's a dynamite piece of work. Good luck and thanks again. 1977 April 30, Steve Sasville, “To Clothe Or Not...”, in Gay Community News, page 6:
   • That girl was dynamite. Dark hair with killer blue eyes, bronze skin, and an exquisite full-figured body. He warned us: "That issue about what's been happening at that factory, is political dynamite. Keep the lid on it." 2016, Kit Moulton, Annabella, page 108:
4. (slang, uncountable, usually) A strong drug, in particular heroin, cocaine or potent marijuana.

Forms

Deriveds

dynamite tree · dynamitish · dynamitism · predynamite · dynamitist · dynamite charge · dynamite roll · dynamitic · boom goes the dynamite

Descendants

deinameit · Deinameit · ダイナマイト · 다이너마이트

Synonyms

TNT

Translations (70)

ga dinimít (class of explosives) · gl dinamita (class of explosives) · nl dynamiet (class of explosives) · es dinamita (class of explosives) · oc dinamita (class of explosives) · lv dinamīts (class of explosives) · sh dinamit (class of explosives) · te డైనమైటు (class of explosives) · is dýnamít (class of explosives) · lo ດິນລະເບີດ (class of explosives) · yi דיינאַמייט (class of explosives) · cmn 炸藥 /炸药 (class of explosives) · ar دِينَامِيت (class of explosives) · sw baruti (class of explosives) · tr dinamit (class of explosives) · cs dynamit (class of explosives) · sq dinamit (class of explosives) · he דִינָמִיט (class of explosives) · fa دینامیت (class of explosives) · be дынамі́т (class of explosives) · sv dynamitpatron (stick of trinitrotoluene) · ko 다이너마이트 (class of explosives) · pl laska dynamitu (stick of trinitrotoluene) · mh abba (class of explosives) · eu dinamita (class of explosives) · bg динами́т (class of explosives) · mi tainamaiti (class of explosives) · da dynamit (class of explosives) · hy ուժանակ (class of explosives) · pt banana de dinamite (stick of trinitrotoluene) · sv dynamitgubbe (stick of trinitrotoluene) · nb dynamitt (class of explosives) · mk динамит (class of explosives) · ms dinamit (class of explosives) · de Dynamit (class of explosives) · hu dinamit (class of explosives) · cy deinameit (class of explosives) · et dünamiit (class of explosives) · az dinamit (class of explosives) · pl dynamit (class of explosives) · ru динами́т (class of explosives) · nn dynamitt (class of explosives) · de Sprengstoff (figuratively) · ur بارود (class of explosives) · af dinamiet (class of explosives) · fr dynamite (class of explosives) · ro dinamită (class of explosives) · pt dinamite (class of explosives) · ca dinamita (class of explosives) · ur باروت (class of explosives) · lt dinamitas (class of explosives) · vi đinamit (class of explosives) · tl dinamita (class of explosives) · sh динамит (class of explosives) · ja ダイナマイト (class of explosives) · io dinamito (class of explosives) · uk динамі́т (class of explosives) · vi mìn (class of explosives) · ilo dinamita (class of explosives) · hi बारूद (class of explosives) · mh bo̧kutan̄ (class of explosives) · nv tsé bee bił daʼdildoní (class of explosives) · sv dynamit (class of explosives) · it dinamite (class of explosives) · ast dinamita (class of explosives) · fi dynamiitti (class of explosives) · ka დინამიტი (class of explosives) · ta டைனமைட் (class of explosives) · hi बारूत (class of explosives) · eo dinamito (class of explosives)

wikidata: Q80728

dynamite en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈdʌɪnəmʌɪt/ (UK)
• /ˈdaɪ.nəˌmaɪt/ (US)
• /ˈdɪ.nəˌmaɪt/ (obsolete)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Coined by Alfred Nobel in 1867. Ultimately from Ancient Greek δύναμις (dúnamis, “power”) + -ite, most likely under the influence of dynamo or dynamic.

Meanings

1. To blow up with dynamite or other high explosive.
   • [...] on Sunday, August 23, the L.N.W.R. tunnel was closed to enable the old brickwork to be dynamited away, traffic being diverted meanwhile through the M.R. tunnel. 1960 February, R. C. Riley, “The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 101:
   • Gradually the construction gangs cut and dynamited their way through some of the most difficult country in the world. 1954 February, Trevor Holloway, “Canada's Transcontinental Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 128:
2. (figuratively) To dismantle or destroy.
   • Even the successful battle in the last century to overturn the court’s infamous Plessy vs. Ferguson “separate but equal” doctrine wasn’t a frontal assault that dynamited precedent. 2021 July 29, Harry Litman, “Column: Mississippi’s abortion brief dynamites standing law and ‘super duper’ precedents”, in The Los Angeles Times:
   • Cue the appalling thought of a Haiti equaliser that would dynamite Scotland's hopes of doing what they came here to do - making history by making it out of a group in a World Cup. 2026 June 14, Tom English, “Why Haiti v Scotland was antidote to the ills of world football”, in BBC Sport:
3. (of brakes, transitive) To apply maximum pressure to very quickly.
   • dynamite the brakes
   • The 1977 Pontiacs had a tendency of dying if you were at high speed and dynamited the brakes. 2014, Mike Davis, Hunting Men: The Career of an Oregon State Police Detective, page 6:
   • At the critical moment I'd learned from countless action flicks I dynamited the brakes and felt the impact of the sedan against my rear bumper. 2018, Laird Barron, Blood Standard:
   • Juan dynamited the brakes and the car skidded to a halt. 2009, Claude M. Pearson, Portia Rising, page 50:
4. (intransitive, of brakes) To lock up from being invoked too suddenly.
   • the brakes will dynamite

Forms

Deriveds

undynamited · dynamiter

Relateds

detonate · blasting cap · cordite · demolition

Translations (14)

ca dinamitar (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive) · fr dynamiter (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive) · gl dinamitar (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive) · fi räjäyttää dynamiitilla (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive) · pt dinamitar (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive) · mh bo̧kutan̄ (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive) · mi tainamaiti (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive) · io dinamitagar (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive) · mh abba (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive) · ast dinamitar (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive) · es dinamitar (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive) · ga réab le dinimít (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive) · nl dynamiteren (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive) · da demolere (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive)