bust a gut
Idioms-
Also, burst a gut.
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Exert one-self to the utmost. For example, He was busting a gut trying to please her . This hyperbolic term alludes to hurting one's mid-section through physical straining. The first slangy term dates from the early 1900s, the variant from about 1700. For a synonym, see break one's ass .
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Explode with strong feeling, especially laughter or anger. For example, Gene almost bust a gut laughing , or The foreman will burst a gut when he learns that the machine isn't repaired . The former dates from the late 1800s, the latter from about 1940.
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.
This is not to denigrate players who have bust a gut for their country; it's an attempt to explain the real world they live in.
From BBC • Jun. 27, 2026
“And I bust a gut laughing through every second of it. You are amazing … I will be a fan of yours forever.”
From Fox News • Nov. 14, 2019
“Even on some of the most boring, he’d stand up and sing some off-color country song — we’d almost have a baby trying not to bust a gut laughing.”
From New York Times • Aug. 8, 2017
I’ll admit that I’m not one of those theatergoers who hear the words “Ziploc” or “Best Western” and bust a gut, but this show is never going to duplicate the success of “Love Letters.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2017
I laugh so hard I think I might bust a gut.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
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.
