dynamite

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
14
Words With Friends
15
Letters
8
Pronunciation
/ˈdʌɪnəmʌɪt/ (UK)
See all 3 pronunciations
/ˈdʌɪnəmʌɪt/ (UK) · /ˈdaɪ.nəˌmaɪt/ (US) · /ˈdɪ.nəˌmaɪt/

Definition of dynamite

9 senses · 3 parts of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. (uncountable, usually)A class of explosives made from nitroglycerine in an absorbent medium such as kieselguhr, used in mining and blasting.
See all 9 definitions

noun

  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.
    “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.”
    “And your shoulders are frozen (Cold as the night) / Oh, but you're an explosion (You're dynamite)”
    “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."”
  4. (slang, uncountable, usually)A strong drug, in particular heroin, cocaine or potent marijuana.

verb

  1. To blow up with dynamite or other high explosive.
    “Gradually the construction gangs cut and dynamited their way through some of the most difficult country in the world.”
    “[...] 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.”
  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.”
  3. (transitive)To apply maximum pressure to very quickly.
    “dynamite the brakes”
    “Juan dynamited the brakes and the car skidded to a halt.”
    “The 1977 Pontiacs had a tendency of dying if you were at high speed and dynamited the brakes.”
    “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.”
  4. (intransitive)To lock up from being invoked too suddenly.
    “the brakes will dynamite”

name

  1. A sub-sitio in the sitio of Hilltop, barangay of Ambuclao, Bokod, Benguet, Philippines.

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

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

Words you can make from dynamite

200+ playable · top: DAYTIME (13 pts)

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7-letter words

3 words

6-letter words

15 words

5-letter words

42 words

4-letter words

73 words

3-letter words

55 words

2-letter words

11 words

Hooks

3 extensions · 3 back

A single letter you can add to dynamite to make another valid word.

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