Detonation

noun

noun ·4 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An explosion or sudden report made by the near-instantaneous decomposition or combustion of unstable substances. Specifically, combustion that spreads supersonically via shock compression. countable, uncountable

    "the detonation of gun cotton"

  2. 2
    the act of detonating an explosive wordnet
  3. 3
    An explosion or sudden report made by the near-instantaneous decomposition or combustion of unstable substances. Specifically, combustion that spreads supersonically via shock compression.; Any sudden explosion made by an exothermic process (whether chemical or not) that produces a supersonic shock wave. broadly, countable, uncountable

    "a nuclear detonation"

  4. 4
    a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction wordnet
  5. 5
    Engine knocking, a type of improper combustion in gasoline piston engines. countable, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms
explosionbackfirebangbarkblastblowout

Example

More examples

"A new report from Project Renew, the organization behind the detonation team, highlights how Vietnam has continued to clear bombs, land mines and other ordnance despite COVID-19."

Etymology

From French détonation; equivalent to detonate + -ion.

Related phrases

carbon detonationdetonation cordpulse detonation enginerotating detonation enginesympathetic detonationblowing upbombs explodinginternal combustionsetting off

More for "detonation"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.