detonate

/ˈdetəneɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdetəneɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈde-tᵊn-ˌāt ˈde-tə-ˌnāt/ (ame, mw)

detonate — verb

  • detonatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • detonateshe / she / it
  • detonatedpast simple
  • detonating-ing form

1. to burst in a sudden violent explosion, or to make an explosive device burst in

1.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

to burst in a sudden violent explosion, or to make an explosive device burst in this way

例句

Lan heard the shell detonate near the river crossing at dawn.

intransitive: the explosive itself detonates

The hidden bomb detonated behind the market before the first buses arrived.

同義詞
  • explode

    broader and more general; detonate sounds more technical and is especially used for explosives

  • set off

    focuses on causing the explosion rather than on the explosion itself

  • blow up

    common everyday wording; less technical and often less precise

反義詞
  • defuse

    to make a bomb or similar device unable to explode

  • disarm

    to remove or disable the part that lets a weapon or device go off

文法句型

detonate

detonate + [bomb/device/charge]

be designed/set to detonate

用法筆記

Usually used for bombs, mines, shells, charges, or similar explosive devices. It can be intransitive when the explosive goes off by itself in the sentence, and transitive when a person, timer, or signal causes the blast.

常見錯誤

❌The balloon detonated in the hot car.
✅The balloon burst in the hot car.
💡'detonate' is normally used for explosives or violent blasts, not for ordinary objects splitting open.