det·o·nate

verb

/ˈdetəneɪt/

[intransitive, transitive]

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they detonate	/ˈdetəneɪt/ /ˈdetəneɪt/
he / she / it detonates	/ˈdetəneɪts/ /ˈdetəneɪts/
past simple detonated	/ˈdetəneɪtɪd/ /ˈdetəneɪtɪd/
past participle detonated	/ˈdetəneɪtɪd/ /ˈdetəneɪtɪd/
-ing form detonating	/ˈdetəneɪtɪŋ/ /ˈdetəneɪtɪŋ/

detonate (something) to explode, or to make a bomb or other device explode（使）爆炸；引爆；起爆
- Two other bombs failed to detonate.另外两枚炸弹没有爆炸。
- The terrorists planned to detonate the device when the shop was empty.恐怖分子计划在商店空无一人时引爆装置。
- The bomb was detonated by remote control.那枚炸弹是遥控引爆的。
Synonyms explode
explodeblow up ▪ go off ▪ burst ▪ erupt ▪ detonateThese are all words that can be used when something breaks apart violently, causing damage or injury.
explode to burst (= to break open or apart) loudly and violently, causing damage; to make something burst in this way:
The jet smashed into a hillside and exploded.喷气式飞机撞上山坡爆炸了。
The bomb was exploded under controlled conditions.对炸弹实施了可控引爆。
blow (something) up to be destroyed by an explosion; to destroy something by an explosion:
A police officer was killed when his car blew up.一名警察在其汽车爆炸时遇难。
go off (of a bomb) to explode; (of a gun) to be fired:
The bomb went off in a crowded street.炸弹在挤满人群的大街上爆炸了。
When used about guns, the choice of go off (instead of ‘be fired’) can suggest that the gun was fired by accident.burst to break open or apart, especially because of pressure from inside; to make something break in this way:
That balloon’s going to burst.那气球马上要爆了。
erupt (of a volcano) to throw out burning rocks and smoke; (of burning rocks and smoke) to be thrown out of a volcano.detonate (rather formal) (of a bomb) to explode; to make a bomb explode:
Two other bombs failed to detonate.另外两枚炸弹没有爆炸。
Patterns
- a bomb explodes/blows up/goes off/bursts/detonates
- a car/plane/vehicle explodes/blows up
- a firework/rocket explodes/goes off
- a gun goes off
Topics War and conflictc2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
Detonate is used with these nouns as the subject:
bomb
Detonate is used with these nouns as the object:
bomb
explosive
mine
…
Word Originearly 18th cent.: from Latin detonat- ‘thundered down or forth’, from the verb detonare, from de- ‘down’ + tonare ‘to thunder’.