missilenoun [ C ]
uk/ˈmɪs.aɪl/us/ˈmɪs.əl/C2 a flying weapon that has its own engine so that it can travel a long distance before exploding at the place that it has been aimed at:
a missile launcher
Missile attacks on the capital resumed at dawn.
formal any object that is thrown with the intention of causing injury or damage:
Stones, bottles, and other missiles were thrown at the police.
More examples
- These guns will destroy or disable any incoming missile.
- President Kennedy made his reputation with his handling of the Cuban missile crisis.
- The missile homed in on the ship.
- The new missile is faster and more manoeuvrable than previous models.
- The missile strike was devastating - the target was totally obliterated.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Bombs & missiles
- atom bomb
- ballistic
- ballistic missile
- ballistics
- bomblet
- firebomb
- frag bomb
- fragmentation bomb
- grenade
- guided missile
- minefield
- Molotov cocktail
- mushroom cloud
- napalm
- neutron bomb
- smart bomb
- smoke bomb
- surface-to-air missile
- time bomb
- torpedo
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