outburst
Americannoun
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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.
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:
The pitcher and batter didn’t acknowledge the outburst, although Wrobleski’s pitch ended up in the dirt for a full count.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
I’m sure there’s a way to pooh-pooh Tuesday’s outburst by pointing out the expansion of the cup from 32 to 48 teams and arguing the competition is diluted and the stars are feasting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
This meant she regularly passed the accused and their family, who "glared" at jurors and had to be removed by police after an "outburst", leaving Gerrard feeling especially vulnerable.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
"There's nothing in there I'm ashamed of," Brockman hit back, claiming that the journal did not include details of an outburst from Musk in 2017.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
She looked at Dimple from under her eyelashes, like she was waiting for an outburst.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Soprano Elizabeth Novella was a monochromatic Donna Anna, and exaggerated rubato often made her impassioned outbursts sag.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Aurore Berge, minister against discrimination, also denounced the "repeated racist outbursts".
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
At its brightest, it reached a luminosity of approximately 3 × 1049 erg s-1, making it one of the brightest instantaneous outbursts ever recorded in the Universe.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
He can’t manage to get through it without several outbursts insulting the judge, but the trial is the first time in “I Swear” when we see John and his advocates achieve a breakthrough in understanding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
These outbursts forced Bradbury into a repetitive routine of pleading with Teller to stay and persuading him that he was loved.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
