missile
gb/mˈɪsəl/ us/mˈɪsəl/
B2
English
~ 9700
rakéta, irányított rakéta, dobott tárgy, hajíték
NOUN
B2
1
rakéta
A2
Usage pattern:
launch [a missile] at [a target]
The country tested a new long-range missile capable of reaching another continent.
Az ország egy új, nagy hatótávolságú rakétát tesztelt, amely egy másik kontinenst is képes elérni.
Sirens sounded as the army detected an incoming missile over the capital.
Megszólaltak a szirénák, amikor a hadsereg a főváros fölött egy beérkező rakétát észlelt.
Talks resumed after last week’s missile strike on the border town.
They signed a treaty to reduce the number of nuclear missiles in their arsenals.
Learner examples
The army launched a missile at the enemy base.
A hadsereg rakétát lőtt ki az ellenséges bázisra.
The news showed pictures of a missile in the sky.
A hírek egy rakétáról mutattak képeket az égen.
People were afraid when they heard about the missile attack.
The two countries agreed to stop building new missiles.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse “missile” with “missal” (a religious book) because they sound similar, but the meanings are completely different. Some also use “missile” for any small object like a bullet; in modern English, “missile” usually suggests a large, military weapon that is powered and often guided.
Meaning
self-propelled explosive weapon
Collocations
ballistic missile
|cruise missile
|nuclear missile
|missile strike
|missile defense
|guided missile
Synonyms
rocket (Often used in everyday speech, but not all rockets are weapons; a missile is specifically a weapon.)
|
projectile (A more technical, general term for any object fired or thrown; not necessarily self-propelled or explosive.)
Antonyms
shield (A device used for protection and defense, the opposite role of an attacking weapon like a missile.)
Themes
war
|technology
|politics
|military
Definition
A powerful weapon that flies through the air by itself and is used to hit a target far away, often in war.
A weapon that carries an explosive warhead and is powered and usually guided through the air to hit a target at a distance.
NOUN
C1
2
dobott tárgy
B2
hajíték
C1
Usage pattern:
throw [a missile] at [someone/something]
Police moved in after several missiles were thrown at the officers.
A rendőrök azután léptek közbe, hogy több tárgyat dobtak a rendőrökre.
Fans hurled missiles onto the pitch after the referee’s decision.
A szurkolók a bíró döntése után tárgyakat hajigáltak a pályára.
Protesters threw stones and other missiles at the building’s windows.
Security staff raised shields to protect players from flying missiles.
Learner examples
Angry fans threw missiles at the team bus.
A dühös szurkolók tárgyakat dobáltak a csapatbuszra.
Someone in the crowd threw a bottle as a missile.
Valaki a tömegben egy üveget hajított el, hogy eltaláljon vele valamit.
The police told people to stop throwing missiles.
Stones and other missiles hit the car.
Common mistake:
Learners often think this meaning always refers to a high-tech weapon. In reports about protests or football matches, “missiles” usually means simple objects like stones, bottles, or cans that people throw, not military weapons.
Meaning
object thrown to hit target
Collocations
throw missiles
|missiles were thrown
|stones and other missiles
|fans hurled missiles
|missile-throwing crowd
Synonyms
projectile (Neutral, technical term; covers any thrown or fired object, not just ones used in protests or fights.)
|
stone (A common specific type of missile, but refers only to rocks, not to bottles or other objects.)
Antonyms
target (The object or person that is hit, conceptually opposite to the object that does the hitting.)
Themes
violence
|sports
|core_vocabulary
Definition
An object that someone throws or sends through the air to hit a person or thing, for example a stone or a bottle.
An object, such as a stone or bottle, that is thrown or otherwise projected at a person, animal, or thing in order to hit it.
Grammar
Dictionary form
missile
IPA
GB/mˈɪsəl/
US/mˈɪsəl/
Syllables & stress
mis - sile (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mis)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: missile
- Plural: missiles
Word family
Expressions
cruise missile
1/kɹˈuz mˈɪsəl/
fixed phrase
technical
low-flying guided precision missile
A military missile that is guided, flies low to the ground, and is designed to hit a target very accurately.
Examples
- Several cruise missiles hit military sites near the coast.
- They watched video of a cruise missile flying just above the trees.
guided missile
4/ɡˈaɪdɪd mˈɪsəl/
fixed phrase
technical
missile with in-flight guidance
A missile that has a system to control its direction during flight so it can move toward a chosen target.
Examples
- Modern guided missiles can change direction in mid-air.
- The ship was hit by a guided missile launched from the shore.
missile defense
3/mˈɪsəl dɪfˈɛns/
fixed phrase
technical
systems to stop incoming missiles
Weapons and technology used to find and destroy enemy missiles before they can hit their targets.
Examples
- They invested heavily in missile defense to protect major cities.
- New missile defense systems were tested in the desert.
surface-to-air missile
2/sˈɚfɪs tə ˈɛɹ mˈɪsəl/
fixed phrase
technical
ground-launched missile against aircraft
A missile that is fired from the ground or from a ship to hit an airplane or another missile in the sky.
Examples
- The jet was brought down by a surface-to-air missile.
- Soldiers set up surface-to-air missiles around the airbase.
ballistic missile
1/bəlˈɪstɪk mˈɪsəl/
fixed phrase
technical
missile following a ballistic path
A powerful weapon that is shot into the air and then falls toward its target in a high curve, mainly under the force of gravity.
Examples
- The treaty limits the number of long-range ballistic missiles each country can have.
- The country tested a new ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland.
- News reports showed the launch of a new ballistic missile from the test site.
- Talks focused on limiting the number of nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.