Synonyms of missilenext
1
: capable of being thrown or projected to strike a distant object
2
: adapted for throwing or hurling missiles

missile

2 of 2

noun

: an object (such as a weapon) thrown or projected usually so as to strike something at a distance
stones, artillery shells, bullets, and rockets are missiles
: such as

Examples of missile in a Sentence

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.
Adjective
Recent months have seen an expansion of Russian missile attacks all across Ukraine, as officials in Kyiv warn that Ukrainian stocks of anti-missile interceptor munitions are dangerously low and, in some cases, exhausted. — David Brennan, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 The administration of President Barack Obama rightly deployed the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Air Defense) anti-missile system for this purpose. — Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
Older residents here repeat a mantra that the country has been through worse, notably when Iraq launched Scud missiles in 1991 during the first Gulf War. — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new missile interceptor designed to strengthen the US Army’s defenses against hypersonic weapons and other advanced aerial threats. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for missile

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin missilis, from mittere to throw, send

First Known Use

Adjective

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1656, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of missile was in 1610

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Missile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/missile. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

missile

noun
mis·​sile
ˈmis-əl
: an object (as a stone, arrow, artillery shell, bullet, or rocket) that is thrown, shot, or launched usually so as to strike something at a distance
Etymology

Noun

from Latin missile "a weapon that is thrown or shot rather than held in the hand," derived from missus, past participle of mittere "to send, throw" — related to emit

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