missile
noun
Simple meaning
A self-propelled projectile whose trajectory can be adjusted after it is launched.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
missuhlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈmɪsəl
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
military
A self-propelled projectile whose trajectory can be adjusted after it is launched. [from 20th c.]
Any object used as a weapon by being thrown or fired through the air, such as stone, arrow or bullet. [from 17th c.]
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- General and technical use
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A self-propelled projectile whose trajectory can be adjusted after it is launched. [from 20th c.]
Used this way, missile is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a military use: it belongs to service and operational language.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Military
- Historical writing
- News/reporting
- Technical/specialist writing
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use missile
- “The Rhodians, who used leaden bullets, were able to project their missiles twice as far as the Persian slingers, who used large stones.”noun
- “That missile is explosive enough to kill hundreds.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Naval weaponry providing a defense system.
Naval weaponry providing a defense system.
A missile designed to be launched from an airplane at a target on the ground.
A missile designed to be launched from an airplane at a target on the ground.
A defensive missile designed to shoot down incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles.
A missile that is guided in the first part of its flight but falls freely as it approaches target.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.