ballistic
adj.adj. moving very fast and with great force. You use this word to describe something that happens suddenly and powerfully, like a rocket launch or a sudden success.
adj. characterized by high speed, force, or explosive impact; often used metaphorically to describe rapid growth or sudden change. Common in informal and journalistic registers.
The car accelerated with ballistic speed.
The startup saw ballistic growth after launching its new app.
The politician's ballistic rise to power surprised many observers who had previously dismissed him as a fringe candidate.
From Latin ballista (“a military siege engine for throwing stones”) + -ic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Nounballistics
- Adjectiveballistic
Last updated May 4, 2026