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dynamite

dy·na·mite/ˈdaɪ.nəˌmaɪt/noun, verb

dynamite is spelled D-Y-N-A-M-I-T-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables (dy·na·mite). It appears 3.9 times per million words in written English, the 13,127th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, dynamite means “A class of explosives made from nitroglycerine in an absorbent medium such as kieselguhr, used in mining and blasting” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of dynamite is dynamites.

How many letters and syllables are in dynamite?

Letters8: D-Y-N-A-M-I-T-E
Syllables3: dy·na·mite
In writing3.9 times per million words; the 13,127th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is dynamite?

Dynamite appears 3.9 times per million words in written English, the 13,127th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce dynamite?

  • UK /ˈdʌɪnəmʌɪt/
  • US /ˈdaɪ.nəˌmaɪt/
  • /ˈdɪ.nəˌmaɪt/

Dynamite has 3 syllables, split dy·na·mite in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-dynamite.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of dynamite

  • dynamites plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • dynamiting participle, present
  • dynamited participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does dynamite mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A class of explosives made from nitroglycerine in an absorbent medium such as kieselguhr, used in mining and blasting.

  2. 2

    informalproscribedA stick of trinitrotoluene (TNT).

  3. 3

    slangAnything exceptionally dangerous, exciting or wonderful.

  4. 4

    slangA strong drug, in particular heroin, cocaine or potent marijuana.

verb

  1. 1

    To blow up with dynamite or other high explosive.

  2. 2

    To dismantle or destroy.

  3. 3

    To apply maximum pressure to very quickly.

    dynamite the brakes

  4. 4

    To lock up from being invoked too suddenly.

    the brakes will dynamite

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Dynamite in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchdynamite (class of explosives), dynamiter (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive)
GermanDynamit (class of explosives), Sprengstoff (figuratively)
Portuguesedinamite (class of explosives), dinamitar (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive), banana de dinamite (stick of trinitrotoluene)
Spanishdinamita (class of explosives), dinamitar (to blow up with dynamite or other high explosive)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does dynamite come from?

Coined by Alfred Nobel in 1867. Ultimately from Ancient Greek δύναμις (dúnamis, “power”) + -ite, most likely under the influence of dynamo or dynamic.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after dynamite