erupt
Americanverb (used without object)
-
erupts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
erupted,
past participle, past
-
erupting
present participle
-
to burst forth.
Molten lava erupted from the top of the volcano.
- Synonyms:
- vent
-
(of a volcano, geyser, etc.) to eject matter.
-
to break out of a pent-up state, usually in a sudden and violent manner.
Words of anger erupted from her.
-
to break out in a skin rash.
Hives erupted all over his face and hands.
-
(of teeth) to grow through surrounding hard and soft tissues and become visible in the mouth.
verb (used with object)
-
erupts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
erupted,
past participle, past
-
erupting
present participle
-
to release violently; burst forth with.
She erupted angry words.
- Synonyms:
- vent
-
(of a volcano, geyser, etc.) to eject (matter).
verb
-
to eject (steam, water, and volcanic material such as lava and ash) violently or (of volcanic material, etc) to be so ejected
-
(intr) (of a skin blemish) to appear on the skin; break out
-
(intr) (of a tooth) to emerge through the gum and become visible during the normal process of tooth development
-
(intr) to burst forth suddenly and violently, as from restraint
to erupt in anger
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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eruptionnoun
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preeruptverb (used without object)
-
reeruptverb (used without object)
-
eruptibleadjective
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uneruptedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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eruptsimple
-
eruptssimple
-
have eruptedperfect
-
has eruptedperfect
-
am eruptingprogressive
-
are eruptingprogressive
-
is eruptingprogressive
-
have been eruptingperfect progressive
-
has been eruptingperfect progressive
Past
-
eruptedsimple
-
had eruptedperfect
-
was eruptingprogressive
-
were eruptingprogressive
-
had been eruptingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of erupt
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin ēruptus “burst forth, broken out” (past participle of ērumpere ), equivalent to ē- “out of, from” + ruptus, past participle of rumpere “to break, rupture”; see origin at e- 1, rupture
Explanation
A rash, a volcano, applause, violence, all of these are things that are prone to erupt, meaning they suddenly become active. The word erupt has origins in the Latin word eruptus, the past participle of erumpere, meaning to burst forth. This lively verb can be used to describe anything that is released in a quick, violent burst, such as a bomb exploding or lava spewing forth from a volcano or even laughter. It can also be used to describe the arrival of things that burst through more quietly (but often more painfully), such as a skin condition or a tooth that’s breaking through one's gum.
Vocabulary lists containing erupt
Make a Break for It: Rupt
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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.
See Examples For:
The discovery does not mean that Kikai is about to erupt.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
While the two sides have voiced differences over some issues including Tehran's claims to charge fees, there is a growing expectation that the conflict would not erupt again.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
The confrontation did not erupt all at once.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
The disruption to trade in the Gulf and its global effects are a reminder of the economic calamity that would likely erupt from war in the Taiwan Strait.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
Luna looked up and felt a scream erupt in her throat.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
He then erupts in flames twice his height, dark smoke billowing.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
In this traditional view, low-density magma gradually accumulates within the crust, increasing pressure until the surrounding rock fractures, collapses, and ultimately erupts.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026
And as for the showstopping pelican, the frog erupts out of its beak right on cue, a moment that indeed inspires a round of laughter and childlike awe.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
A passage in which an argument erupts over which nearby shop sells the best donuts, for instance, descends into absurdity when Mr. Eddy suddenly rises from his state of near-unconsciousness to offer his opinion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
A scream erupts from me, lonely in the still summer night.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
The scandal erupted last month after some academics and media reports accused Arday of plagiarising parts of his doctoral thesis and embellishing his life achievements.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
The row first erupted after another academic - self-defined "race realist" Nathan Cofnas, who was sacked from his Cambridge role in 2024 - said he found numerous instances of plagiarism in Prof Arday's work.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The scandal erupted after some academics and media reports accused Arday, who became Cambridge University's youngest Black professor in 2023, of plagiarizing parts of his doctoral thesis.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
As McDonnell spoke, the commission room erupted in jeers as several people accused the chief of misrepresenting what happened.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The sky shook with endless thunder and erupted with lightning, the clouds bursting with a billion joules of energy.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
Plus, we look at new fronts erupting in the Iran war, and a daring mission to recover American POWs from the ocean floor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
The towering volcano on the Italian island of Sicily is the most active in Europe, erupting several times a year, yet scientists have never fully understood how it formed.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
He was given a standing ovation as he approached the crease for the delivery that dismissed Foulkes, the ground erupting as Harry Brook pouched a catch at second slip.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Rising fuel prices have caused widespread pain, with protests erupting in Kenya, which like many African countries is dependent on imports from the Gulf and where the public transport system has ground to a halt.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
The cluster of al-mirajes emerged from behind a kiosk selling newspapers and followed, green shoots erupting behind them.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
