Meaning & use

missile

noun·Academic

A self-propelled weapon that is guided or aimed toward a target, or any object thrown or fired at something.

See it in a sentence

The military tested a new missile capable of striking targets far away.

Protesters threw bottles and other missiles at the line of police officers.

A note on using this word

Missile can refer broadly to any thrown object, but in modern usage it most often means a guided military weapon.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “missile”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.