spurt
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a sudden, forceful gush or jet.
- Synonyms:
- spout
-
a marked increase of effort for a short period or distance, as in running, rowing, etc.
-
a sudden burst or outburst, as of activity, energy, or feeling.
verb
-
to gush or cause to gush forth in a sudden stream or jet
-
to make a sudden effort
noun
-
a sudden forceful stream or jet
-
a short burst of activity, speed, or energy
Synonym Usage
See flow.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have spurtedperfect
-
has spurtedperfect 3rd person singular
-
am spurtingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been spurtingperfect progressive
-
has been spurtingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
spurtssingular 3rd person
-
is spurtingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
are spurtingprogressive
-
spurtingparticiple
Past
-
had spurtedperfect
-
were spurtingprogressive plural
-
had been spurtingperfect progressive
-
was spurtingprogressive singular
-
spurtedsimple
-
spurtedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of spurt
First recorded in 1560–70; variant of spirt; origin uncertain
Explanation
Things that spurt gush, stream, or flow rapidly. If you laugh too hard while drinking a Coke, soda might spurt out of your nose. Ouch! Spurt is also a noun: "A spurt of water erupted from the hole in the water balloon before she had a chance to throw it." Though a jet of liquid is usually what spurts, the word is also used for quick bursts of speed, like a race car that spurts forward suddenly, winning at the last second. The origin of spurt isn't certain, but it may be related to the German spürzen, "to spit" and sprützen, "to squirt."
Vocabulary lists containing spurt
Excerpt from "The Little Mermaid"
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 1
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 1
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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.
They view the inflation spurt as the immediate issue that bonds will continue to fret over, keeping long tenor yields elevated.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Some may perceive this as mere growing pains for a now-decade-old Silicon Valley giant that experienced a massive growth spurt after ChatGPT’s takeoff.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
And during Fanatics’ growth spurt with exclusive deals with every major sports league in North America, criticism of the company swelled.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026
Boys who are held back, the thinking goes, will hit a growth spurt their second time through eighth grade and enter high school bigger, stronger, faster and more coordinated.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026
In a moment it was a steady hum and she could see a spurt of dark smoke from a small stack.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
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.
