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 of outburst

• explosion
• burst
• eruption
• flash

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

The discussion was punctuated by a pair of outbursts from the audience. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

The man was allegedly screaming racial and homophobic slurs during the outburst, according to TMZ. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026

Earlier this year, West took an ad out in the Wall Street Journal to apologize for his antisemitic outbursts and claimed they were caused by manic episodes. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

There have also been repeated public outbursts from Diomansy Kamara, Sarr’s agent, about Palace’s handling of his client while Sarr himself removed all references to Palace on his social media platforms. — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for outburst

• accursed
• amerced
• cloudburst
• coerced
• conversed
• disbursed
• dispersed
• headfirst
• immersed
• rehearsed
• reversed
• starburst

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