spring

1 of 2

verb

ˈspriŋ 

sprang ˈspraŋ  or sprung ˈsprəŋ  ; sprung; springing ˈspriŋ-iŋ 

intransitive verb

1

a(1)

: dart, shoot

Sparks sprang out from the fire.

(2)

: to be resilient or elastic

also : to move by elastic force

The lid sprang shut.

The branch sprang back and hit me.

b

: to become warped

2

: to issue with speed and force or as a stream

tears spring from our eyes

3

a

: to grow as a plant

b

: to issue by birth or descent

sprang from the upper class

c

: to come into being : arise

towns sprang up across the plains

d

archaic : dawn

e

: to begin to blow

—used with up

a breeze quickly sprang up

4

a

: to make a leap or series of leaps

springing across the lawn

b

: to leap or jump up suddenly

The lion was waiting to spring.

They sprang from their seats.

5

: to stretch out in height : rise

6

: pay

—used with for

I'll spring for the drinks

transitive verb

1

: to cause to spring

2

a

: to undergo or bring about the splitting or cracking of

wind sprang the mast

b

: to undergo the opening of (a leak)

3

a

: to cause to operate suddenly

spring a trap

b

: to apply or insert by bending

c

: to bend by force

springing a steel band

4

: to leap over

The horse sprang the fence.

5

: to produce or disclose suddenly or unexpectedly

You should have warned us instead of just springing it on us.

The teacher sprang a surprise and gave us a quiz.

6

: to make lame

7

: to release or cause to be released from confinement or custody

sprung them from jail

spring a surprise

2 of 2

phrase

: to do, ask, or say something that is not expected

Everyone knows she's not likely to spring a surprise.

The teacher sprang a surprise on us and gave a quiz.

Synonyms of spring

Verb

• start
• begin
• originate
• arise
• commence
• appear
• be
• form

Choose the Right Synonym for spring

spring, arise, rise, originate, derive, flow, issue, emanate, proceed, stem mean to come up or out of something into existence.

spring implies rapid or sudden emerging.

an idea that springs to mind

arise and rise may both convey the fact of coming into existence or notice but rise often stresses gradual growth or ascent.

new questions have arisen

slowly rose to prominence

originate implies a definite source or starting point.

the fire originated in the basement

derive implies a prior existence in another form.

the holiday derives from an ancient Roman feast

flow adds to spring a suggestion of abundance or ease of inception.

words flowed easily from her pen

issue suggests emerging from confinement through an outlet.

blood issued from the cut

emanate applies to the coming of something immaterial (such as a thought) from a source.

reports emanating from the capital

proceed stresses place of origin, derivation, parentage, or logical cause.

advice that proceeds from the best of intentions

stem implies originating by dividing or branching off from something as an outgrowth or subordinate development.

industries stemming from space research

Examples of spring in a Sentence

Verb

when it comes to love and romance, hope springs eternally

the cat sprang and pounced on the mouse

had to spend a night in jail until their lawyer could come to spring them

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Rubio stayed in space for 371 days after the Russian aircraft meant to take him from the International Space Station back to Earth sprang a coolant leak. —Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026

People nearby sprang into action and were able to rescue the mother and her son, but the boy’s sister remainedmissing, authorities said. —Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026

In a playoff win against Escondido Charter, Kyles dived to her left, quickly sprang to her feet and gunned out the batter. —Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026

Rubio most famously ended up spending over a year in space aboard the ISS after his mission's Soyuz spacecraft sprang a significant coolant leak, setting a NASA record for the single longest spaceflight at 371 days. —Josh Dinner, Space.com, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English springan; akin to Old High German springan to jump and perhaps to Greek sperchesthai to hasten

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Phrases Containing spring

• air spring
• box spring
• come/spring/leap to mind
• hot spring
• leaf spring
• spiral spring
• spring a leak
• spring a surprise
• spring a trap
• spring beauty
• spring bolt
• spring break
• spring chicken
• spring-clean
• spring-cleaning
• spring fever
• spring for
• spring from
• spring into/to action/life
• spring line
• spring-load
• spring on
• spring onion
• spring peeper
• spring roll
• spring tide
• spring training
• spring up
• spring wagon
• spring water
• tears spring to someone's eyes

Rhymes for spring

• bing
• bring
• ching
• cling
• ding
• fling
• ging
• hing
• jing
• kling
• ling
• ming

Kids Definition

spring

1 of 2 verb

ˈspriŋ 

sprang ˈspraŋ  or sprung ˈsprəŋ  ; sprung; springing ˈspriŋ-iŋ 

1

a

: to appear or grow quickly

the weeds sprang up overnight

b

: to come from by birth or descent

sprang from an immigrant family

c

: to come into being : arise

towns sprang up across the plains

2

: to move suddenly forward or upward : leap

a lion crouched and waiting to spring

sprang up the path

sprang to my feet

3

: to have (a leak) appear

4

a

: to move by elastic force

the lid sprang shut

b

: to become warped or bent

the door has sprung

5

a

: to cause to operate suddenly

spring a trap

b

: to produce suddenly

sprung a surprise on us

6

: pay entry 1 sense 1

—usually used with for

spring for a new pair of shoes

7

: to release or cause to be released from confinement (as jail)

spring

2 of 2 noun

1

: a source of supply

especially : a source of water coming up from the ground

2

a

: the season between winter and summer including in the northern hemisphere usually the months of March, April, and May

b

: a time or season of growth or development

3

: an elastic body or device that recovers its original shape when released after being squeezed or stretched

4

a

: the act or an instance of leaping up or forward

b

: elastic power or force

the spring in your step

Medical Definition

spring

noun

ˈspriŋ 

: any of various elastic orthodontic devices used especially to apply constant pressure to misaligned teeth