burp
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
-
informal (intr) to belch
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(tr) to cause (a baby) to burp to relieve flatulence after feeding
Usage
What does burp mean? A burp is the often noisy instance of stomach gas being released through the mouth. It often happens after you eat or especially after you drink a bubbly drink like soda. Burp can also be used as a verb meaning to release gas in such a way, as in I burped right in the middle of the meeting—it was so embarrassing. Burping is common and normal, but it’s often considered rude to burp in public, especially to do so loudly. It’s typically considered the polite thing to do to try to cover up a burp. A synonym for both the noun and verb sense of burp is belch, which is a bit more formal. The technical medical term for burping or a burp is eructation. The verb form of this is eruct. As a verb, burp can also mean to help a baby to burp, as in I always enjoyed burping my babies after they drank their bottle—it’s so satisfying to get a big burp out! Babies are burped to prevent the buildup of gas. Usually, burping is done by gently patting the baby’s back. Burp is also sometimes used in a figurative way in the context of a thing releasing gas or air or something else, especially in a messy way. A volcano can be said to burp out fumes. You can burp a food storage container—let the excess air out of it—by quickly opening and closing the lid. Example: My grandfather loved to conclude his dinner by unleashing a loud burp to signal his satisfaction.
Other Word Forms
- burpless adjective
Etymology
Origin of burp
An Americanism first recorded in 1930–35; imitative
Explanation
A burp is a belch, or the loud release of trapped air loudly through your mouth. The sound of a burp during a quiet moment makes some people frown and others giggle. The sound you make when you reflexively let air or gas escape from your mouth is a burp — and to make this noise is to burp. The typical cause of a burp is swallowed air, with some people being able to gulp air and make themselves burp on purpose. Drinking fizzy soda can also make you burp. The word comes from the sound of a burp — it's imitative, and it first appeared in the 1930s.
Vocabulary lists containing burp
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.
Chief emission culprits are livestock farming, particularly cattle, which release planet-warming methane when they burp.
From Barron's • Nov. 11, 2025
Cattle also burp planet-heating methane gas, plus they require water and land.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2025
It’s a problem that because of his net worth and lack of filter, he can get in a momentary snit, burp out an angry post, and send Washington scurrying.
From Slate • Jun. 4, 2025
Livestock account for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with the largest portion coming from methane that cattle release when they burp.
From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2024
This is not the kind of house where you can burp freely and run around in your bare feet.
From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko
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.
