To detonate means to explode or cause something to explode. When a firework detonates in the sky, it bursts into brilliant colors and light. When demolition experts detonate carefully placed explosives, they bring down an old building in a controlled collapse.

A detonation is louder and more violent than simple burning: gasoline burns steadily in a car engine, but if it detonates, it explodes with a sharp bang that can damage the engine.

In movies, you often see someone detonate a bomb by pressing a button or flipping a switch, sending an electrical signal that triggers the explosion. Scientists study how different materials detonate to make mining safer and to understand volcanic eruptions. The noun form, detonator, refers to the device that triggers the explosion.

The word can occasionally be used figuratively, like when someone's anger detonates after building up for days. But usually, when you hear detonate, you're talking about an actual explosion: sudden, loud, and releasing tremendous energy all at once.