erupt
Americanverb (used without object)
-
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)
-
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
- eruptible adjective
- eruption noun
- preerupt verb (used without object)
- reerupt verb (used without object)
- unerupted adjective
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”; e- 1, rupture
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.
Intensifying return-on-investment concerns or AI disruption risks might be enough to cause it to erupt earlier, analysts added.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
UN Under-Secretary General Rosemary DiCarlo said during the meeting that "when conflicts erupt, children are among those most severely affected".
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026
"The volcano did not erupt just once -- it evolved over time as conditions in the subsurface changed."
From Science Daily • Feb. 23, 2026
During his cooking demonstration, the audience would erupt into cheers whenever he exclaimed, “BAM!” while spicing up his dishes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
She had even been up on the mountain in February, less than a month before it began to erupt.
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.
