Definition of volatile for English Language Learners. : 1  likely to change in a very sudden or extreme way. : 2  having or showing extreme or sudden changes of emotion. : 3  likely to become dangerous or out of control.
expletive (plural expletives) 1  A profane, vulgar term, notably a curse or obscene oath. ( 2 linguistics) A word without meaning added to fill a syntactic position. ( 3 linguistics) A word that adds to the strength of a phrase without affecting its meaning; an intensifier.
The definitive expletive of the 18th century was bloody, which is still in frequent use in Britain today, and is so common Down Under that it is known as âthe great Australian adjective.â Bloody was not quite an obscenity and not quite an oath, but it was definitely a bad word that shocked and offended the ears of polite society.