erupt
Americanverb (used without object)
-
erupts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
erupted,
past participle, past
-
erupting
present participle
-
to burst forth.
Molten lava erupted from the top of the volcano.
- Synonyms:
- vent
-
(of a volcano, geyser, etc.) to eject matter.
-
to break out of a pent-up state, usually in a sudden and violent manner.
Words of anger erupted from her.
-
to break out in a skin rash.
Hives erupted all over his face and hands.
-
(of teeth) to grow through surrounding hard and soft tissues and become visible in the mouth.
verb (used with object)
-
erupts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
erupted,
past participle, past
-
erupting
present participle
-
to release violently; burst forth with.
She erupted angry words.
- Synonyms:
- vent
-
(of a volcano, geyser, etc.) to eject (matter).
verb
-
to eject (steam, water, and volcanic material such as lava and ash) violently or (of volcanic material, etc) to be so ejected
-
(intr) (of a skin blemish) to appear on the skin; break out
-
(intr) (of a tooth) to emerge through the gum and become visible during the normal process of tooth development
-
(intr) to burst forth suddenly and violently, as from restraint
to erupt in anger
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
eruptionnoun
-
preeruptverb (used without object)
-
reeruptverb (used without object)
-
eruptibleadjective
-
uneruptedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
eruptsimple
-
eruptssimple
-
have eruptedperfect
-
has eruptedperfect
-
am eruptingprogressive
-
are eruptingprogressive
-
is eruptingprogressive
-
have been eruptingperfect progressive
-
has been eruptingperfect progressive
Past
-
eruptedsimple
-
had eruptedperfect
-
was eruptingprogressive
-
were eruptingprogressive
-
had been eruptingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of erupt
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin ēruptus “burst forth, broken out” (past participle of ērumpere ), equivalent to ē- “out of, from” + ruptus, past participle of rumpere “to break, rupture”; see origin at e- 1, rupture
Explanation
A rash, a volcano, applause, violence, all of these are things that are prone to erupt, meaning they suddenly become active. The word erupt has origins in the Latin word eruptus, the past participle of erumpere, meaning to burst forth. This lively verb can be used to describe anything that is released in a quick, violent burst, such as a bomb exploding or lava spewing forth from a volcano or even laughter. It can also be used to describe the arrival of things that burst through more quietly (but often more painfully), such as a skin condition or a tooth that’s breaking through one's gum.
Vocabulary lists containing erupt
Make a Break for It: Rupt
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 11
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
It isn’t the sin that makes Rowan erupt but Olivia’s failure to live by the most important lesson he’s ever imparted.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
Mr. Klepach warned that in Russia “a social crisis could erupt at a time when no one is really expecting it” and noted ominously that in 1917, “no one expected the February Revolution either.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
"Males are the only pigs whose upper tusks erupt through the snout bone and curve back towards their face."
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Scientists know that these systems can erupt more than once, but the processes that allow them to accumulate vast quantities of magma remain poorly understood.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
A little volcano seemed to erupt somewhere within Zeke.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
In “Young Men and Fire” he vividly narrates how a wildfire the crew initially expected to control suddenly erupts into a “blowup,” a wall of flame racing uphill faster than the young men can run.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Trump's post featured a 10-second video showing an overhead view of a building surrounded by greenery before an explosion erupts, sending up a cloud of smoke.
From Barron's ● Jun. 13, 2026
And as for the showstopping pelican, the frog erupts out of its beak right on cue, a moment that indeed inspires a round of laughter and childlike awe.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
As Jalla thunders towards its climax, it erupts amid what is presumably Cyprus's entire stock of pyrotechnics.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
At midnight, I ding-dong while a house on McMann Avenue erupts with cheers and party horns and “Auld Lang Syne.”
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
Since the fighting erupted, banking services in Tigray have been suspended by the government.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
The panic of 1907, which devastated the U.S. banking system, also erupted in October.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
But a scandal erupted last week when several companies admitted they were unable to satisfy investor redemption demands, sending Istanbul's main stock exchange tumbling.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
Many of those texts were works by Philodemus, an Epicurean philosopher who lived in Herculaneum roughly a century before Vesuvius erupted.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
Mr. Poe opened his mouth to say something, but erupted into a brief fit of coughing.
From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket
Wearing a bright red shirt, Bernard Gilbert directed a dance to song King of the Road by country singer Roger Miller in Worcester city centre, with crowds erupting in applause after he finished.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Within hours of erupting, the fire bore down on homes around the popular resorts of Siviri and Fourka, which are packed with summer tourists.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
The towering volcano on the Italian island of Sicily is the most active in Europe, erupting several times a year, yet scientists have never fully understood how it formed.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
Similar clashes are erupting nationwide as communities wrestle with privacy rights and the rapid spread of AI-enabled cameras.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
They were used to getting reports about Mount St. Helens erupting—it had been erupting for a month and a half already.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
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.
