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
Synonym Usage
See flow.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
spurtsimple
-
spurtssimple
-
have spurtedperfect
-
has spurtedperfect
-
am spurtingprogressive
-
are spurtingprogressive
-
is spurtingprogressive
-
have been spurtingperfect progressive
-
has been spurtingperfect progressive
Past
-
spurtedsimple
-
had spurtedperfect
-
was spurtingprogressive
-
were spurtingprogressive
-
had been spurtingperfect progressive
Future
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.
The U.S. economy added fewer jobs than expected in June, with job gains cooling from a strong spurt this spring.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
In recent years, the buildings around the Metropolitan have struggled to keep retail tenants after a spurt of residential conversions of historic buildings starting in the early 2000s brought commerce to the neighborhood.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026
His growth spurt was something to see, from a diminutive attacker to a beast at 6ft 4in.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
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
But the fire had caught now, and the flames began to spurt up, green and orange, between the twigs.
From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill
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.
