Extratropical cyclones are the most important “actors” in the daily weather stage in mid-latitude region. In autumn-winter season, a great number of rapidly intensifying extratropical cyclones occur over the mid- and high-latitude oceans, termed as “explosive cyclones”, which have received less public attention. Regarding to the theme “explosive cyclone”, this paper firstly reviews the historical background of researching extratropical cyclone, and then introduces the origin of the term “explosive cyclone”. The definitions of explosive cyclones given by several scholars are systematically analyzed. A modified definition of explosive cyclone considering the influence of strong winds is emphatically introduced. In addition, the current research status of explosive cyclones is summarized systematically. Finally, the future outlook of explosive cyclone study in next few decades is prospected.