outpouring
Americannoun
-
outpourings
plural
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.
See Examples For:
An outpouring of support from Angelenos helped delay the final closure until this spring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
There has been an outpouring of messages from politicians and party leaders across the breadth of the political spectrum.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led an outpouring of support for Haines, widely praised for her efforts to increase transparency in politics and crack down on corruption.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
"We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from so many who know and love our family and even strangers who feel our pain," she also posted.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
Where a blade should be on the sword, an outpouring of iridescent light appears instead, shimmering.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
The deaths of former premier Zhou Enlai in 1976 and Hu Yaobang, a former CCP general secretary, in 1989, prompted widespread outpourings of grief that morphed into protests.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
But none of these rules exist on the internet, where children exchange details, speculation and outpourings of grief unsupervised.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 30, 2023
Every song in her discographical universe matters, and any surprise song she chooses will invariably educe outpourings of jubilation.
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2023
Such online outpourings of grief often presage additional violence, said Desmond Patton, a University of Pennsylvania professor who studies social media and firearm violence.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 2, 2023
When within sight of the Earth on each of its orbits, it would stimulate outpourings of superstitious fervor among the Earthlings.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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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.
