ballistic

[ buh-lis-tik ]
/ bəˈlɪs tɪk /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR ballistic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of or relating to ballistics.
having its motion determined or describable by the laws of exterior ballistics.

Idioms for ballistic

    go ballistic, Informal. to become overwrought or irrational: went ballistic over the idea of a tax hike.

Origin of ballistic

First recorded in 1765–75; ballist(a) + -ic

OTHER WORDS FROM ballistic

bal·lis·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby ballistic

ballicatter, balliol, ballism, ballismus, ballista, ballistic, ballistic camera, ballistic galvanometer, ballistic missile, ballistic pendulum, ballistic trajectory

British Dictionary definitions for go ballistic

ballistic
/ (bəˈlɪstɪk) /

adjective

of or relating to ballistics
denoting or relating to the flight of projectiles after power has been cut off, moving under their own momentum and the external forces of gravity and air resistance
(of a measurement or measuring instrument) depending on a brief impulse or current that causes a movement related to the quantity to be measured a ballistic pendulum
go ballistic informal to become enraged or frenziedly violent
(of materials) strong enough to resist damage by projectile weapons ballistic nylon

Derived forms of ballistic

ballistically, adverb

Idioms and Phrases with go ballistic (1 of 2)

go ballistic

Become extremely upset or angry, as in Dad will go ballistic when he sees you dented the new car. This expression, a variation on go berserk, originally alluded to a guided missile going out of control. [Slang; mid-1980s]

Idioms and Phrases with go ballistic (2 of 2)

ballistic

see go ballistic.