What does detonated mean?
Detonated is the past tense and past participle of the verb detonate, meaning to explode or to cause something to explode with sudden violence and a loud blast. It is most often used of bombs, explosives, and controlled demolitions: engineers may have detonated charges to bring down a bridge, or a bomb squad may have detonated an unexploded device at a safe distance. The word carries strong connotations of force, shock, and suddenness, which has led to a well-established figurative use in journalism — a revelation can be said to have detonated a political crisis, suggesting its impact hit like an explosion. Etymologically it derives from the Latin verb detonare, meaning to thunder down, combining de- ('down') with tonare ('to thunder'). Neutral to formal in register, it appears frequently in news reporting, military writing, and technical descriptions of demolition work.
verb (past tense and past participle of 'detonate')(Past tense and past participle of 'detonate'.) To have exploded or caused something to explode violently and suddenly, typically producing a loud blast and shock wave.
- (of an explosive device) exploded or was made to explode violently
- (figurative) caused a sudden, explosive reaction, as in news that detonated a scandal
"The demolition crew detonated the old stadium at dawn."
"The bomb squad safely detonated the device in a controlled explosion."
"Her resignation letter detonated a political firestorm within hours."
The word comes from Latin tonare, 'to thunder' — so every time something detonates, it literally thunders.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of detonated
Detonated comes from the Latin verb detonare, formed from de- (down) plus tonare (to thunder), so its root image is of a thunderclap striking downward. It entered English in the early modern period, with related forms such as detonation appearing from around the 16th–17th centuries, and became firmly associated with explosives as those technologies developed. It shares its thunder-root tonare with words such as tonic, monotone, and detonation itself.
Related word forms
How detonated is actually used
Register is neutral to formal; common in journalism, military contexts, and engineering. The figurative sense (a story that 'detonated' a controversy) is well established in news writing.
Easily confused with detonated
'Denoted' means indicated or signified, while 'detonated' means exploded or caused to explode; they differ by only one letter but are unrelated in meaning.