burst

1 of 2

verb

burst also bursted; bursting

intransitive verb

1
: to break open, apart, or into pieces usually from impact or from pressure from within
the balloon burst
the pipes burst
2
a
: to give way from an excess of emotion
my heart will burst
b
: to give vent suddenly to a repressed emotion
burst into tears
burst out laughing
3
a
: to emerge or spring suddenly
burst out of the house
burst onto the scene
burst into flames
b
: launch, plunge
burst into song
4
: to be filled to the breaking point
bursting with excitement
a crate bursting with fruit

transitive verb

1
: to cause to burst
burst a balloon
2
a
: to force open (something, such as a door or a way) by strong or vigorous action
b
: to flood over
the river burst its banks
3
: to produce by or as if by bursting

burst

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a sudden outbreak
a burst of flames
especially : a vehement outburst (as of emotion)
b
: explosion, eruption
a burst of violence
c
: a sudden intense effort
a burst of speed
d
: the duration of fire in one engagement of the mechanism of an automatic firearm
bursts of machine-gun fire
2
: an act of bursting
the burst of a bubble
a burst of confidence
3
: a result of bursting
had the plumber fix the burst
especially, firearms : a visible puff accompanying the explosion of a shell (see shell entry 1 sense 9b)
Phrases
burst at the seams
: to be larger, fuller, or more crowded than could reasonably have been anticipated

Examples of burst in a Sentence

Verb Two of the water pipes burst. He burst a blood vessel. The doors suddenly burst open. The cops burst the door open. He burst into the room. The sun burst through the clouds. She burst through the door and yelled “Surprise!”. Noun She ran hard in short bursts toward the end of the race. the burst of a bubble
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Perrie burst onto the music scene in 2011 when she, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall and Jesy Nelson were put together on the British X Factor. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 But the character is, by design, relatively impassive, stoic, and shy of expression, albeit bursting with thought and emotion. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 While Colas said these indicators don’t point to a bubble bursting anytime soon, more modest pullbacks are not only possible but routine. The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024 The team was eventually made to pay for its profligacy in front of goal as Real Madrid caught Leipzig on the counterattack after 65 minutes, with Jude Bellingham bursting forward and setting up Vinícius Jr. for an emphatic finish. Matias Grez, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 Amazon’s under-the-radar Overstock Outlet is always bursting with high discounts, and this month’s assortment of deals is no different. Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 Perry candidly shared his battles in a memoir, detailing his addiction to Vicodin after a 1997 jet-ski accident and a near-death experience in 2019 after his colon burst from opioid use. Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024 The three-time Grand Slam champion has struggled in recent years to look like his old self after bursting onto the tennis scene as a 17-year-old phenom in 2005, winning his first ATP title less than a year after turning pro. Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024 Hotel San Luis Obispo is located in the very walkable downtown, and the lobby bursts with energy on weekend evenings, thanks to its lively restaurant and bar. Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 25 Feb. 2024
Noun
The best mango juice blends deliver a burst of fresh, bright flavor thanks to a generous amount of mango puree and a careful blending of numerous flavorful juices and purees. Jolene Thym, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 This bias can lead to the formation of bubbles, as investors collectively flock to specific assets, driving prices to unsustainable levels, only to suffer when the bubble bursts. Dan Irvine, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Little said the burst hose didn’t appear to be related to any cleanup for a fire burning inside the landfill. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 An estimated 580,000 gallons of water spilled from the burst pipe at the now-vacant plating shop. Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024 And the stringent, systematic De Keersmaeker even flicked her fingers for bursts of air piano. Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024 Plus, a burst of new restaurants have opened across Fort Worth Even the new 61 Osteria Italian restaurant on Burnett Park, ranked this week by Texas Monthly as the No. 4 best new restaurant in Texas, switched to dinner-only service after lunch and brunch were slow. Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Feb. 2024 Morgan Stanley cautioned against racing headfirst into AI, lest investors not have an adequate lay of the land before the bubble bursts. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2024 Van Ginkel makes up for a slender frame and shorter arms with good burst off the line and plus movement ability in space, but he can get swallowed up by blockers. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'burst.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English bersten, from Old English berstan; akin to Old High German brestan to burst

Noun

derivative of burst entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of burst was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near burst

Cite this Entry

“Burst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burst. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

burst

1 of 2 verb
burst; bursting
1
a
: to break open or in pieces (as by an explosion from within)
the balloon burst
buds bursting open
b
: to cause to burst
2
a
: to suddenly show one's feelings
burst into tears
b
: to begin to do something suddenly
burst into song
3
: to come or go suddenly
burst into the room
4
: to be filled to the breaking point
just bursting with energy

burst

2 of 2 noun
1
: a sudden release or effort
a burst of speed
2
: a firing of many shots at the same time

More from Merriam-Webster on burst

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