An adjective for the kind of nuclear reaction that needs enormous heat to start — and for the weapons and machines built around it. In this reaction, very light atoms (usually forms of hydrogen) are squeezed and heated until they join together into one bigger atom, releasing a huge amount of energy. This is what happens inside the sun, and it is what makes a hydrogen bomb far more powerful than the first atomic bombs.

An adjective一個形容詞 for the kind of nuclear reaction that needs enormous heat to start用來形容需要極高溫才能啟動的那種核反應——and for the weapons and machines built around it也用來形容以此為基礎打造出來的武器和機器。In this reaction在這種反應裡，very light atoms (usually forms of hydrogen)非常輕的原子（通常是氫的各種形式） are squeezed and heated被擠壓、加熱，until they join together into one bigger atom直到它們結合成一個更大的原子，releasing a huge amount of energy釋放出巨大的能量。This is what happens inside the sun這就是太陽內部發生的事，and it is what makes a hydrogen bomb far more powerful than the first atomic bombs也是氫彈比最早的原子彈威力大得多的原因。

Almost always used before a noun: a thermonuclear weapon, a thermonuclear war, a thermonuclear reaction, thermonuclear fusion.

Almost always used before a noun幾乎都放在名詞前面用：a thermonuclear weapon, a thermonuclear war, a thermonuclear reaction, thermonuclear fusion像thermonuclear weapon（熱核武器）、thermonuclear war（熱核戰爭）、thermonuclear reaction（熱核反應）、thermonuclear fusion（熱核融合）這樣。

Because of the bomb, the word carries a heavy Cold War feeling — you meet it in news reports, history books, and politics much more than in ordinary science talk.

Because of the bomb因為跟核彈有關，the word carries a heavy Cold War feeling這個字帶著濃厚的冷戰氣息——you meet it in news reports, history books, and politics你會在新聞報導、歷史書，還有政治議題裡遇到它，much more than in ordinary science talk遠比在一般科學談話裡常見。

English speakers also stretch it as an exaggeration for anything extreme: 'a thermonuclear argument' means a fight that blew up completely and destroyed the relationship. That use is informal and a little dramatic.

English speakers also stretch it as an exaggeration for anything extreme說英語的人也會誇張地用它來形容任何極端的事：'a thermonuclear argument''a thermonuclear argument'（一場「熱核級」的爭吵） means a fight that blew up completely and destroyed the relationship意思是一場徹底爆發、把關係都毀了的爭吵。That use is informal and a little dramatic這種用法是非正式的，也有點誇張戲劇化。

One warning about definitions you may read: joining atoms together is called fusion, and splitting them apart is called fission. Thermonuclear reactions are the joining kind, so a description that says 'splitting of atoms' is loose — though real hydrogen bombs do use a small splitting bomb first, as the match that lights the heat.

One warning about definitions you may read關於你可能讀到的定義有一點要提醒：joining atoms together is called fusion原子結合在一起叫做fusion（融合），and splitting them apart is called fission把它們分開則叫做fission（分裂）。Thermonuclear reactions are the joining kindThermonuclear反應是屬於結合的那一種，so a description that says 'splitting of atoms' is loose所以如果有描述說是「原子的分裂」，那就不太精確——though real hydrogen bombs do use a small splitting bomb first不過真正的氫彈確實會先用一顆小型的分裂彈，as the match that lights the heat當作點燃高溫的那根火柴。