explosionar

to explode

verb ehk-sploh-syoh-NAHR Rare

Usage Note

Explosionar is a back-formation from explosión, used especially in Spain to mean 'to explode' or 'to blow up' (intransitive). It is considered informal or colloquial by prescriptivists; the more traditional verb is explotar (which is also the verb for 'to exploit', so context matters). In journalistic language explosionar is frequent: el coche explotó / explosionó.

Examples

"El artefacto puede explosionar en cualquier momento."

Natural Translation

The device can explode at any moment.

Related Words

Explore Spanish by topic

SpanishNow

Spanish Subjunctive Explained Simply for Beginners

The Spanish subjunctive is a mood, not a tense — use it after a WEIRDO trigger plus que. Learn the one rule, the yo-form recipe, and the lines you already say.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

SpanishNow

Por vs Para in Spanish: One Mental Model, No Acronyms

Por looks backward at cause and path; para looks forward at goal and destination. Master por vs para in Spanish with one mental model — no acronyms needed.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

El or La? Spanish Noun Gender Rules Made Simple

El or la? Spanish noun gender is ~99% readable off the word's ending. Learn the o/a defaults, LONERS, feminine endings, and the handful of rebels to memorize.

June 3, 2026 7 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Accent Marks: 3 Rules for Every Word

A Spanish word needs an accent mark in just three cases: it breaks the default stress, it's a homophone, or a weak vowel splits off. Here are all three rules.

June 3, 2026 6 min read