outpouring
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of outpouring
1750–60; out- + pouring ( def. )
Explanation
An outpouring is a gush, flow, or fast stream of something. An outpouring of lava from an active volcano would be a bad thing, but an outpouring of support from the community would be a very good thing. A literal outpouring is something you can actually see, like an outpouring of water from a hose. It's actually more common to use outpouring figuratively, as in an outpouring of community support for a family of refugees or an outpouring of new work by a prolific artist. This noun dates from the fifteenth century, when it was first used to describe "a pouring out of spiritual things."
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.
As part of the outpouring of solidarity from Venezuelans, many private funeral homes have offered free hearses to transport the dead, and free cremations.
From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026
That outpouring inspired Bed Bath & Beyond to run a contest to find the oldest coupon.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
News of her death prompted an outpouring of tributes from fans who remembered her as both a defining childhood voice and one of early-2000s cinema’s most recognizable young actors.
From Salon • Jun. 19, 2026
"You don't forget those moments," she says of the nation's outpouring of national pride back then.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
Still, this outpouring of charity could not change a new fact of life.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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.
