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.
See Examples For:
The letter received an outpouring of support online.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Osbourne spoke to the BBC exactly a year on from her husband's passing, which led to an outpouring of public grief, and celebration of his contribution to music.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“The outpouring of love I received helped me to realize that her short time on this earth left an impact that could never be forgotten.”
From Slate ● Jul. 19, 2026
This event is considered the largest volcanic outpouring known in Earth's history.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
The following 1,500 years saw the outpouring of Chinese technological inventions, mentioned in Chapter 13, that included paper, the compass, the wheelbarrow, and gunpowder.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Sentencing Methven, judge Lord Matthews told him he had "rarely heard such outpourings of grief as in the victim impact statements".
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2025
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
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.
