Synonyms of ballistic
1
: extremely and usually suddenly excited, upset, or angry : wild
He went ballistic when he saw the dent in his car.
and the crowd goes ballistic
2
: of or relating to the science of the motion of projectiles in flight
3
exercise : being or characterized by repeated bouncing
ballistic stretching
4
physics, of an object in motion : behaving like a projectile
But the Bell Labs switch uses such a low current that the few ballistic electrons are a distance of a micrometer or more apart …Robert Pool
5
of a material : capable of resisting or stopping bullets or other projectiles
ballistic glass
ballistic nylon
… engineered specifically to be worn under ballistic vests and shirts.K. M. Reese

Examples of ballistic in a Sentence

she went ballistic when she discovered her brother reading her e-mail
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Iran has provided the group with weapons and technology for, among other things, sea mines, ballistic and cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, according to a 2021 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 Aerial views of the scene showed two SUVs and a deputy’s ballistic vest abandoned on the ground at the scene. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 Authorities say Allen rushed a security checkpoint and fired, striking a Secret Service officer in the chest; the officer’s ballistic vest prevented serious injury. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Rather than flying at low altitude for most of their flight, ballistic missiles typically follow a high-speed ballistic trajectory, making interception significantly more challenging. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ballistic

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin ballisticus "relating to the motion of projectiles in flight," from Latin ballista ballista + New Latin -icus -ic entry 1

Note: The Latin word was apparently introduced by the French priest and polymath Marin Mersenne (1588-1648) in Ballistica et acontismologia, a section (with separate title page) of his Cogitata physico-mathematica (Paris, 1644).

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of ballistic was in 1764

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Cite this Entry

“Ballistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballistic. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

ballistic

adjective
: of or relating to ballistics

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