ballistic
adjective
bal·lis·tic
bə-ˈli-stik 
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
Robert Pool5
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
K. M. ReeseExamples of ballistic in a Sentence
she went ballistic when she discovered her brother reading her e-mail
Recent Examples on the Web
Officials say drones can often be intercepted using mobile units and relatively low-cost systems, but ballistic and cruise missiles remain far more difficult to stop.
—
Joanna Kakissis,
NPR,
2 July 2026
The chamber is a dedicated firing-squad space, with sound and ballistic protection.
—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
The attack with ballistic and cruise missiles and drones damaged buildings and civilian infrastructure across the city.
—
ABC News,
1 July 2026
That is why comparing ballistic and cruise missiles is not just about asking which one is more powerful.
—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ballistic
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Joanna Kakissis,
NPR,
2 July 2026
The chamber is a dedicated firing-squad space, with sound and ballistic protection.
—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
The attack with ballistic and cruise missiles and drones damaged buildings and civilian infrastructure across the city.
—
ABC News,
1 July 2026
That is why comparing ballistic and cruise missiles is not just about asking which one is more powerful.
—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ballistic
Cite this Entry
“Ballistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballistic. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ballistic
adjective
bal·lis·tic
bə-ˈlis-tik
: of or relating to ballistics
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