burst

verb
UK: /bɜːst/
US: /bɝːst/

  1. To break open or apart suddenly and violently.

    1. The balloon will burst if you blow it up too much. [ ] [ ]
    2. If the pipe freezes, it might burst and cause a lot of damage to your home. [ ] [ ]

  2. To be full to the point of overflowing; to suddenly express a strong emotion.

    1. She'll burst with pride when she sees him. [ ] [ ]
    2. After keeping it a secret for so long, he burst out with the exciting news. [ ] [ ]

  3. To come or appear suddenly and rapidly.

    1. The sun burst through the clouds. [ ] [ ]
    2. Suddenly, the door burst open, and the kids ran inside screaming happily. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

break erupt explode shatter outbreak spurt rush surge
burst noun

  1. A sudden breaking open or splitting, often accompanied by force or noise.

    1. There was a loud burst of thunder. [ ] [ ]
    2. The burst of water from the pipe flooded the basement very quickly. [ ] [ ]

  2. A sudden increase or display of something, like energy or speed.

    1. She had a burst of energy this morning. [ ] [ ]
    2. The runner put on a final burst of speed to win the race competitively. [ ] [ ]
burst adjective

  1. Used to describe something done suddenly or intensely.

    1. a burst pipe [ ] [ ]
    2. The sudden burst of applause startled the speaker at the conference. [ ] [ ]
burst phrasal-verb

  1. To express or release something suddenly and forcefully.

    1. She burst into tears. [ ] [ ]
    2. The crowd burst into applause after the singer hit the high note successfully. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "burst" in English means: To break open or apart suddenly and violently., To be full to the point of overflowing; to suddenly express a strong emotion., To come or appear suddenly and rapidly..

The phonetic transcription of "burst" is /bɜːst/ in British English and /bɝːst/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "burst": break, erupt, explode, shatter, outbreak, spurt, rush, surge.

Example usage of "burst": "The balloon will burst if you blow it up too much.". More examples on the page.