eruption

noun

erup·​tion i-ˈrəp-shən 

1

a

: an act, process, or instance of erupting

b

: the breaking out of a rash on the skin or mucous membrane

2

: a product of erupting (such as a skin rash)

Synonyms of eruption

• explosion
• outburst
• burst

Examples of eruption in a Sentence

a great eruption of glee as it suddenly dawned on her that she had won

the eruption of the volcano Krakatoa was one of the most violent in global history

Recent Examples on the Web

Xu Fu and Ma Junsheng also play surrogate dads to Seif, whose increasingly violent eruptions threaten to change the course of his life more than once. — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

The designation indicates heightened volcanic activity and the potential for an eruption, or an eruption underway with limited hazards to aviation. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Each eruption caused rapid deflation of the summit of Kilauea and was followed by the relatively slow refilling of the Halemaʻumaʻu magma reservoir. — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 2026

If the incoming eruptions interact favorably with Earth's magnetic field, auroras could potentially reach much farther south than currently anticipated. — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing eruption

• creeping eruption
• post-eruption

Rhymes for eruption

• corruption
• disruption
• irruption
• incorruption
• interruption

Kids Definition

eruption

noun

erup·​tion i-ˈrəp-shən 

1

: an act, process, or instance of erupting

2

: a product (as a skin rash) of erupting

Medical Definition

eruption

noun

erup·​tion i-ˈrəp-shən 

1

: an act, process, or instance of erupting

the eruption of the tooth from the gum

specifically : the breaking out of an exanthem or enanthem on the skin or mucous membrane (as in measles)

2

: something produced by an act or process of erupting: as

a

: the condition of the skin or mucous membrane caused by erupting

b

: one of the lesions (as a pustule) constituting this condition