combustible

adjective

com·​bus·​ti·​ble kəm-ˈbə-stə-bəl How to pronounce combustible (audio)
1
: capable of combustion
combustible materials, such as paper, leaves, and sawdust
combustible gases
2
: easily excited
a combustible temper
The coach had to keep the combustible players under control.
combustibility noun
combustible noun
combustibly adverb

Examples of combustible in a Sentence

The fuel is highly combustible. don't store oily rags and other combustible materials in a hot attic
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.
The largest member of the grass family, bamboo is combustible, susceptible to deterioration and weaker in rain, raising legitimate questions about its durability, Arup’s Ho said. Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025 Home sellers will have more work to do in the coming years as the state begins enforcing regulations in 2029 that require owners of existing homes in high-risk wildfire areas to remove vegetation and other combustible material within five feet of the building. Bloomberg, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025 See You At The Finish Line follows Lucas, a sharp-witted, working-class rower, and George, an American golden-boy captain, whose uneasy alliance evolves into a tender but combustible love story against the backdrop of the famous boat race between Oxford and Cambridge universities. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025 De Zerbi’s outbursts, which are often echoed by comparably provocative public pronouncements by Benatia, seem designed to keep the notoriously combustible club living in a permanent state of heightened tension. Tom Williams, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for combustible

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin combustibilis, from Latin combustus (past participle of combūrere "to destroy with fire, combust") + -ibilis -ible

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of combustible was in 1529

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Combustible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combustible. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

combustible

adjective
com·​bus·​ti·​ble kəm-ˈbəs-tə-bəl How to pronounce combustible (audio)
1
: capable of being burned
2
: catching fire or burning easily
combustibility noun
combustible noun

Medical Definition

combustible

adjective
com·​bus·​ti·​ble kəm-ˈbəs-tə-bəl How to pronounce combustible (audio)
: capable of combustion
combustible anesthetics

More from Merriam-Webster on combustible

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