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Meaning & use

ballistic

adjective·Advanced

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UK/bəˈlɪstɪk/
US/bəˈlɪstɪk/

Meanings

  1. adjectivebefore a nountechnical

    Describing something that is thrown or fired and then follows a curved path through the air, pulled only by gravity and its own speed.

    Grammar: Almost always before a noun: a ballistic missile, a ballistic path.

    Patterns

    • ballistic missile
    • ballistic trajectory

    The rocket's engines cut out, and it followed a ballistic arc down to the sea.

    Engineers calculated the ballistic path of the capsule as it re-entered the atmosphere.

    The museum has a ballistic pendulum once used to measure the speed of bullets.

  2. adjectiveidiominformalfigurative

    Extremely and suddenly angry, used in the phrase go ballistic.

    Grammar: Almost always follows go or went: he went ballistic. It is not used before a noun in this sense.

    Patterns

    • go ballistic
    • go ballistic at someone
    • go ballistic over something

    Dad will go ballistic if he sees the scratch on his car.

    The manager went ballistic when the report arrived two days late.

    She nearly went ballistic over the missing keys.

Common combinations

ballistic missile
The treaty limits the number of long-range ballistic missiles each country may hold.
ballistic trajectory
A thrown stone follows a ballistic trajectory.
ballistic vest
The officer wore a ballistic vest under her jacket.
ballistic test
The lab ran a ballistic test on the new helmet.
go ballistic
The coach went ballistic after the referee's decision.

Synonyms and how they differ

furious
Furious describes intense anger in any situation, while go ballistic suggests a sudden, loud explosion of temper.
livid
Livid suggests anger so strong that it is often silent and tense, whereas going ballistic is noisy and public.
berserk
Berserk implies wild, out-of-control behavior, so it is more violent than the informal go ballistic.

Opposites

calm

Word family

ballistics noun
the science of the motion of projectiles, or of firearms evidence
ballistically adverb
in a way that follows a free, unpowered path
ballista noun
an ancient war machine for hurling large stones or bolts

Commonly confused: ballistic or bellicose?

ballistic vs bellicose

Bellicose means eager to fight or quarrel, and it describes a general attitude rather than a sudden burst of anger or a flight path.

Practice

The rocket's engines cut out, and it followed a ___ arc down toward the target.

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