Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

detonate

/ˈdɛtəˌneɪt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.98 in modern English

Syllables
det-o-nate
IPA
/ˈdɛtəˌneɪt/
9
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To explode, blow up

Intransitive verb

verb

To explode, blow up

Intransitive verb

verb

To cause to explode.

Transitive verb

verb

To express sudden anger.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

First attested in 1729; either borrowed from French détoner or directly from Latin dētonātus, perfect passive participle of dētonō (“to thunder down (strongly); (figuratively, of a person) to thunder, speak threateningly, to rage; to stop thundering”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from dē- (“off, from”) + tonō (“to thunder”)). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tenh₂-. The current interlingual meaning seems to be a new formation in postclassical times (to thunder → make a large noise → explode), compare explode.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *(s)tenh₂-, dētonātus

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈdɛtəˌneɪt/
  • British English: /ˈdɛtəneɪt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

detonates (present, singular) detonating (participle, present) detonated (participle, past) detonated (past)

Derived Forms

detcord detonatable detonation detonative detonator nondetonating undetonated

Frequently Paired Words

stentorian Thor thunder Thursday

Synonyms

blast fulminate thunder explode blow up set off

Antonyms

deflagrate

Questions

How do you pronounce detonate?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdɛtəˌneɪt/.
What does detonate mean?
To explode, blow up
Where does detonate come from?
It is traced to Latin. First known use: First attested in 1729.

How to pronounce detonate

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “detonate”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈdɛtəˌneɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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  4. Repeat and practice — Say “detonate” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.