What does radical mean? I mean really.?

Question

Why do people say things that don't mean anything- I have even said them But, what do they mean? Like "stellar" "the bomb" or better yet, "don't go ballistic" or POSTAL

Answer 1

Radical: group: (chemistry) two or more atoms bound together as a single unit and forming part of a molecule
free radical: an atom or group of atoms with at least one unpaired electron; in the body it is usually an oxygen molecule than has lost an electron and will stabilize itself by stealing an electron from a nearby molecule; "in the body free radicals are high-energy particles that ricochet wildly and damage cells"
extremist: (used of opinions and actions) far beyond the norm; "extremist political views"; "radical opinions on education"; "an ultra conservative"
a person who has radical ideas or opinions
revolutionary: markedly new or introducing radical change; "a revolutionary discovery"; "radical political views"
a character conveying the lexical meaning of a logogram
arising from or going to the root; "a radical flaw in the plan"
a sign placed in front of an expression to denote that a root is to be extracted
of or relating to or constituting a linguistic root; "a radical verb form"
root: (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed; "thematic vowels are part of the stem"
especially of leaves; located at the base of a plant or stem; especially arising directly from the root or rootstock or a root-like stem; "basal placentation"; "radical leaves"

Steller
Georg Wilhelm Steller
natural scientist, naturalist - a biologist knowledgeable about natural history (especially botany and zoology)

The bomb
1.
a. An explosive weapon detonated by impact, proximity to an object, a timing mechanism, or other means.
b. An atomic or nuclear bomb. Used with the.
2. Any of various weapons detonated to release destructive material, such as smoke or gas.
3. Football A long forward pass.
4.
a. A container capable of withstanding high internal pressure.
b. A vessel for storing compressed gas.
c. A portable, manually operated container that ejects a spray, foam, or gas under pressure.
5. Slang A dismal failure; a fiasco.
6. Slang An old car.
7. Chiefly British Slang
a. A large amount of money.
b. A great success.
v. bombed, bomb·ing, bombs
v.tr.
To attack, damage, or destroy with or as if with bombs.
v.intr.
1. To drop a bomb or bombs.
2. Slang To fail miserably: The play bombed.
3. Slang To paint a graffito.
ballistic

Of or relating to the study of the dynamics of projectiles.
b. Of or relating to the study of the internal action of firearms.
2. Of or relating to projectiles, their motion, or their effects


Postal

Of or relating to a post office or mail service.
Idiom:
go postal
Slang To become extremely angry or deranged, especially in an outburst of violence.

Answer 2

Radical means unusual, eccentric, not normal or customary - it usually implies dramatic, someone dressing wierd, doing something wierd - it also means "way out there", like taking a normal idea out to some extreme - like a radical new plane design might have 18 wings or something.

I saw where another responder said it was just "rad" with the "ical" added. Other way around. Radical is a word from the 60s and 70s and it's not slang, it's a real word. But it became shortened to "rad" and it was part of hippie culture to mean "far out" and so on.

You may still hear at a proper business meeting someone suggesting or commenting on a "radical" new way to manufacture this part or ship that gizmo, etc.

Answer 3

Main Entry: 1rad·i·cal
Pronunciation: 'ra-di-k&l
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin radicalis, from Latin radic-, radix root -- more at ROOT
1 : of, relating to, or proceeding from a root: as a (1) : of or growing from the root of a plant (2) : growing from the base of a stem, from a rootlike stem, or from a stem that does not rise above the ground b : of, relating to, or constituting a linguistic root c : of or relating to a mathematical root d : designed to remove the root of a disease or all diseased and potentially diseased tissue
2 : of or relating to the origin : FUNDAMENTAL
3 a : marked by a considerable departure from the usual or traditional : EXTREME b : tending or disposed to make extreme changes in existing views, habits, conditions, or institutions c : of, relating to, or constituting a political group associated with views, practices, and policies of extreme change d : advocating extreme measures to retain or restore a political state of affairs
4 slang : EXCELLENT, COOL
- rad·i·cal·ness noun

Answer 4

i think it means cool or rad in a sort of way

this might help RAD-ical they just add "ical" to the end of rad

Answer 5

because not everyone is a square

Answer 6

its a thing called SLANG! stooge