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.
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:
By following Swift J1727.8−1613 through an entire outburst, astronomers were able to observe nearly the full cycle of feeding, transformation, and expulsion.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
Meloni's evident shock at Trump's outburst comes after a series of incidents that have weakened what had begun as a close political relationship.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 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
Laila Emamjoneh, 24, who sat beside her sister and brother-in-law, was startled at the outburst for New Zealand among a group of mostly Iranians.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
The one who had called his name was Masood, the Afghan boy he’d seen at the market the day his father had had his outburst.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
The crisis, which has spawned lawsuits and public outbursts, arose over the city’s long-running agreement to get fire services from Kings County.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 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
However, she was sometimes hindered by emotional outbursts on court that took her focus away from the match in front of her.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
Nevertheless, despite sporadic outbursts of violence, the two countries have continued to take part in diplomatic exchanges, mediated by Pakistan, aimed at bringing a formal end to the war.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
Fortunately, the outbursts are sometimes held in check by the “soup eaters,” the people from the office who come up to have a cup of soup for lunch.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
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.
