outburst
Americannoun
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outbursts
plural
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a sudden and violent release or outpouring.
an outburst of tears.
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a sudden spell of activity, energy, etc.
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a public disturbance; riot; outbreak.
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a bursting forth; eruption.
noun
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a sudden and violent expression of emotion
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an explosion or eruption
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of outburst
Explanation
When you can't help an angry shout or a burst of emotion, that's an outburst. A toddler's outburst might take the form of a full-blown temper tantrum. An outburst of passion or emotion can be angry words, a broken glass, or a triumphant whoop. There are also figurative outbursts, like the outburst of political enthusiasm within a particular group of voters, or an outburst of energy in the midst of a modern dance performance. The Middle English verb that proceeded outburst was outbresten.
Vocabulary lists containing outburst
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:
When Swift detected an energetic outburst, it could rapidly redirect its telescopes toward the source and notify observatories around the world.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
I found Lisandro Martinez's outburst about Manchester United's recruitment very strange, especially after his mistake that cost his side victory over Tottenham.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
In 2016, Blair was removed from a plane on a stretcher after another outburst on a flight.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
A 70-point scoring outburst last week in which QB Gerald Torres threw five TD passes vs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
“Oh, enough, Robert!” she broke into his heated outburst.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
There may be other contributory factors to any outbursts — including fatigue, lack of sleep, hunger, thirst, pain, infection, medications, bodily functions and irregular routines, among other many variables.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
Known as active galactic nuclei, these bright and powerful galactic cores can launch jets of particles and enormous outbursts that influence conditions across their host galaxies.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
Amatya, the company’s acting chief executive, said the project was designed to survive intense, low-probability floods, but not glacial lake outbursts and catastrophic debris flows.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The discussion was punctuated by a pair of outbursts from the audience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
It was Henry he was angriest at, Henry who had betrayed him, and Henry who was always the subject of these outbursts.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
