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Synonyms

burst

American  
[burst] / bɜrst /

verb (used without object)

burst, bursted, bursting

  1. to break, break open, or fly apart with sudden violence.

    The bitter cold caused the pipes to burst.
    Synonyms:
    explode, crack

  2. to issue forth suddenly and forcibly, as from confinement or through an obstacle.

    Oil burst to the surface. He burst through the doorway.

  3. to give sudden expression to or as if to emotion.

    to burst into applause; to burst into tears.

  4. to be extremely full, as if ready to break open.

    The house was bursting with people.

  5. to appear suddenly; become visible, audible, evident, etc., all at once.

    The sun burst through the clouds.

verb (used with object)

burst, bursted, bursting

  1. to cause to break or break open suddenly and violently.

    He burst the balloon.
    Synonyms:
    tear, rend

  2. to cause or suffer the rupture of.

    to burst a blood vessel.

  3. to separate (the parts of a multipart stationery form consisting of interleaved paper and carbon paper).

noun

  1. an act or instance of bursting.

  2. a sudden, intense display, as of activity, energy, or effort.

    The car passed us with a burst of speed.
    Synonyms:
    spurt

  3. a sudden expression or manifestation, as of emotion.

    a burst of affection.
    Synonyms:
    outbreak

  4. a sudden and violent issuing forth.

    a burst of steam from the pipe.
    Synonyms:
    outbreak

  5. Military.

    1. the explosion of a projectile, especially in a specified place.

      an air burst.

    2. 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.

  6. the result of bursting; breach; gap.

    a burst in the dike.

  7. a sudden appearance or opening to view.

idioms

  1. burst at the seams, to be filled to or beyond normal capacity.

    This room will be bursting at the seams when all the guests arrive.
burst British  
/ bɜːst /

verb

  1. to break or cause to break open or apart suddenly and noisily, esp from internal pressure; explode

  2. (intr) to come, go, etc, suddenly and forcibly

    he burst into the room

  3. (intr) to be full to the point of breaking open

  4. (intr) to give vent (to) suddenly or loudly

    to burst into song

  5. to cause or suffer the rupture of

    to burst a blood vessel
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a sudden breaking open or apart; explosion

  2. a break; breach; rupture

  3. a sudden display or increase of effort or action; spurt

    a burst of speed

  4. a sudden and violent emission, occurrence, or outbreak

    a burst of heavy rain

    a burst of applause

  5. a volley of fire from a weapon or weapons

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. broken apart; ruptured

    a burst pipe
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

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.