spurt
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a sudden, forceful gush or jet.
- Synonyms:
- spout
-
a marked increase of effort for a short period or distance, as in running, rowing, etc.
-
a sudden burst or outburst, as of activity, energy, or feeling.
verb
-
to gush or cause to gush forth in a sudden stream or jet
-
to make a sudden effort
noun
-
a sudden forceful stream or jet
-
a short burst of activity, speed, or energy
Related Words
See flow.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of spurt
First recorded in 1560–70; variant of spirt; origin uncertain
Explanation
Things that spurt gush, stream, or flow rapidly. If you laugh too hard while drinking a Coke, soda might spurt out of your nose. Ouch! Spurt is also a noun: "A spurt of water erupted from the hole in the water balloon before she had a chance to throw it." Though a jet of liquid is usually what spurts, the word is also used for quick bursts of speed, like a race car that spurts forward suddenly, winning at the last second. The origin of spurt isn't certain, but it may be related to the German spürzen, "to spit" and sprützen, "to squirt."
Vocabulary lists containing spurt
Excerpt from "The Little Mermaid"
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 1
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 1
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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.
Some may perceive this as mere growing pains for a now-decade-old Silicon Valley giant that experienced a massive growth spurt after ChatGPT’s takeoff.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
Still, Gottlieb called that spurt “special,” if only for the fact that it showed USC still has some life as it opens the postseason Thursday against Washington in the Big Ten tournament.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026
This latest growth spurt might be short-lived, and some analysts say production is set to plateau.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026
Big picture: The U.S. economy showed a big spurt of growth in the spring and summer despite higher U.S. tariffs and stubborn inflation.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 22, 2026
With a desperate spurt Frodo and Sam dashed along the bridge; but they had hardly reached its further end when they heard the hue and cry begin.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
