Dynamite

/ˈdaɪnəmaɪt/

nounmediumCommonGeneral

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A powerful explosive made of a mixture of nitroglycerin with an absorbent substance.

/ˈdaɪnəmaɪt/

nounnegativemedium
General

A highly explosive substance

The demolition team used dynamite to bring down the old building.

💡 Simply: Dynamite is like a super powerful firecracker, but way stronger. It's used to break apart rocks and mountains. Imagine wanting to make a tunnel; you might use dynamite to help!

👶 For kids: Dynamite is a super strong stuff that can make big things go BOOM!

More Examples

2

Miners use dynamite to extract minerals from the earth.

3

The tunnel was created using carefully placed charges of dynamite.

How It's Used

Engineering

"The construction crew used dynamite to blast through the mountain."

Mining

"Dynamite is still used in some mining operations."

2

To blow up or destroy something with dynamite; figuratively, to destroy or ruin.

/ˈdaɪnəmaɪt/

verbnegativeAdvanced
General

To blow up with dynamite

The rebels planned to dynamite the railway tracks.

💡 Simply: To dynamite something is to blow it up or ruin it. Think of it like a really dramatic way to make something disappear.

👶 For kids: To dynamite means to blow something up with dynamite.

More Examples

2

The company was dynamited by the insider trading scandal.

3

They dynamited the old dam to create a new reservoir.

How It's Used

General

"The terrorists threatened to dynamite the bridge."

figurative

"The scandal threatened to dynamite her career."

Tip:Imagine a powerful 'dynamic' force that destroys.

Idioms & expressions

dynamite fishing

The practice of using explosives to kill fish.

"Dynamite fishing is an illegal practice that devastates marine ecosystems."

From German Dynamit, coined by Alfred Nobel from Ancient Greek δύναμις (dúnamis, “power”).

Dynamite was invented by Alfred Nobel in 1866 as a safer alternative to nitroglycerin.

Memory tip

Think of the 'mite' - something small but capable of a huge BANG!

dinamitedinamyte

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written