burst
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to break, break open, or fly apart with sudden violence.
The bitter cold caused the pipes to burst.
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to issue forth suddenly and forcibly, as from confinement or through an obstacle.
Oil burst to the surface. He burst through the doorway.
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to give sudden expression to or as if to emotion.
to burst into applause; to burst into tears.
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to be extremely full, as if ready to break open.
The house was bursting with people.
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to appear suddenly; become visible, audible, evident, etc., all at once.
The sun burst through the clouds.
verb (used with object)
noun
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an act or instance of bursting.
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a sudden, intense display, as of activity, energy, or effort.
The car passed us with a burst of speed.
- Synonyms:
- spurt
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a sudden expression or manifestation, as of emotion.
a burst of affection.
- Synonyms:
- outbreak
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a sudden and violent issuing forth.
a burst of steam from the pipe.
- Synonyms:
- outbreak
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Military.
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the explosion of a projectile, especially in a specified place.
an air burst.
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a rapid sequence of shots fired by one pull on the trigger of an automatic weapon.
A burst from the machine gun shattered all the windows.
-
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the result of bursting; breach; gap.
a burst in the dike.
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a sudden appearance or opening to view.
idioms
verb
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to break or cause to break open or apart suddenly and noisily, esp from internal pressure; explode
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(intr) to come, go, etc, suddenly and forcibly
he burst into the room
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(intr) to be full to the point of breaking open
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(intr) to give vent (to) suddenly or loudly
to burst into song
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to cause or suffer the rupture of
to burst a blood vessel
noun
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a sudden breaking open or apart; explosion
-
a break; breach; rupture
-
a sudden display or increase of effort or action; spurt
a burst of speed
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a sudden and violent emission, occurrence, or outbreak
a burst of heavy rain
a burst of applause
-
a volley of fire from a weapon or weapons
adjective
Other Word Forms
- burster noun
- nonbursting adjective
- unburst adjective
Etymology
Origin of burst
First recorded before 1000; Middle English bersten, bursten, Old English berstan (past plural burston ), cognate with Old High German brestan ( German bersten ), Old Norse bresta; akin to break
Explanation
A burst is a sudden flurry of activity. Bursts of energy are helpful in shoveling heavy snow, but it's better if you work steadily instead of shoveling fast and stopping. As a verb, burst is your go-to action word to describe something sudden and energetic happening. It usually means, "to explode outward, with noise" like if you burst into song in the middle of study hall, startling everyone. It also means, “to split open in a violent way due to internal pressure” like an overfilled water balloon. It comes from the Old English word berstan, meaning "break suddenly."
Vocabulary lists containing burst
Language Gone Wrong: Words That Started Out as Errors
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 2
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hence the one-year timeline for a kill switch should the bubble burst sooner than the stakeholders anticipate.
From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026
China’s low-carbon products such as solar panels and electric vehicles are also seeing a burst of new demand.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
On the verge of tears, she burst out laughing.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
When Ben Jones made his move on 28-1 shot Jordans around the final bend, Townend stalked the leaders on I Am Maximus and finally burst for the front near the famous Aintree elbow.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
Uncle suddenly burst out, banging his fist on the table as he spoke.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
