起き爆ばく剤ざい

き

ば

く

ざ

い

Meanings

Technical term for a substance or device that initiates an explosion. Used in military, mining, and demolition contexts.

Figurative use for something that sets off a major event, change, or reaction. Often used in social, political, or personal contexts.

カンフル
起爆剤 describes something that triggers a dramatic change or event, while カンフル (as in カンフル剤) more specifically implies an energizing boost to something flagging, like an economy.
導どう火か線せん
起爆剤 is literally a detonating agent and is used metaphorically for a catalyst that spurs sudden change, similar to the figurative use of 導火線 but with less sense of a delay before the effect.
触しょく媒ばい
起爆剤 (literally 'detonator') is used figuratively for something that sets off a chain of events, much like 触媒 in its figurative sense of a person or event that triggers change.
呼よび水みず
起爆剤 (literally 'detonator') suggests a sudden, explosive catalyst for change, while 呼び水 has a gentler image of priming or coaxing out a bigger reaction.

Compound of 起爆 (きばく, 'detonation') + 剤 (ざい, 'agent, substance'). The figurative sense is a natural extension from the literal explosive initiator.