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
-
preeruptverb (used without object)
-
reeruptverb (used without object)
-
eruptibleadjective
-
uneruptedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
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:
Following his advice to blackmail a loose-cannon Prime Minister into resigning causes her reflux to erupt with a vengeance.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
The terrific Ms. Rabe, rarely absent from New York stages for long, reveals a similarly steely spine beneath Brooke’s surface fragilities as a long-delayed conflagration between mother and daughter threatens to erupt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Or, just say the words “superwash yarn,” and watch the whole room erupt into debate.
From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2026
It leaves vegetation dead, dry and needing just a small spark to erupt into flame.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
The pro-immigration forces erupt in applause and hooting.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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
Originating as a creepy shared story told online by ordinary internet users, the "Backrooms" universe erupts into American cinemas on Friday with a film directed by star YouTuber Kane Parsons.
From Barron's ● May 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
As Jalla thunders towards its climax, it erupts amid what is presumably Cyprus's entire stock of pyrotechnics.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
The room erupts into applause, but number eighty-eight isn’t done, not by the half of it, calling to Sammy at the piano, “Do you know ‘Slow Boat to China’?”
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
They estimate that if magma erupted during this period released excess oxygen equal to just 0.27% of its weight, the total amount could theoretically match all the oxygen present in Earth's atmosphere today.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
Macron's government has sought to draw a line between the legitimate demands of protesters and the looting, burning and ransacking that erupted on the sidelines of protests last Saturday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
The volcano erupted with the Nazi annexation of Austria and the Kristallnacht pogrom later that year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Before the Norte fire erupted, much of the city’s attention had been fixed on the coast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
The vertical eruption Mount St. Helens erupted out of its top as well as out its side.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
The audience appears to hang on her every word, shout and moan, erupting in explosive applause as she utters the play’s last lines, arms extended ecstatically to the crowd.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
It remained there for several weeks, gradually releasing gas before finally erupting.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
US DJ Khaled had a brief moment on stage while Jay-Z changed, but it was the appearance of London-born rapper Giggs which got the crowd erupting.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
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
According to Professor Bill McGuire of University College London, "you wouldn’t be able to get within a thousand kilometers of it" while it was erupting.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
