outburst

noun

out·​burst ˈau̇t-ˌbərst 

1

: a violent expression of feeling

an outburst of anger

2

: a surge of activity or growth

new outbursts of creative power

—C. E. Montague

3

: eruption

volcanic outbursts

Synonyms

• agony
• blaze
• burst
• ebullition
• eruption
• explosion
• fit
• flare
• flare-up
• flash
• flush
• gale
• gush
• gust
• paroxysm
• spasm
• storm

Examples of outburst in a Sentence

the judge directed the courtroom spectators to refrain from any outbursts when the verdict was read

there was a remarkable outburst of work in the office as the visiting VIPs made their tour

Recent Examples on the Web

Harris’s team wanted microphones to be kept on for the entire hour and a half, saying that any spontaneous outbursts and interruptions from Trump should be audible to viewers. —Brian Bennett, TIME, 9 Sep. 2024

Howard, working from a script by Noah Pink, has a lot of plates to keep spinning, including the story's wild swings between outrageous outbursts, sometimes played for laughs, and dog-eat-dog tension. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 Sep. 2024

This most recent round of auroras came from a barrage of five solar outbursts called coronal mass ejections, or CMEs. —Saima S. Iqbal, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2024

Now, a new study has for the first time described SN 1181 in detail by creating a computerized model of the supernova’s evolution from immediately after the initial outburst appeared until today. —Jacopo Prisco, CNN, 13 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

outburst

noun

out·​burst -ˌbərst 

1

: a sudden violent expression of strong feeling

an outburst of anger

2

: a sudden increase in activity or growth