bursts; burst also bursted; bursting
1
a
: to break open or into pieces in a sudden and violent way
The balloon burst. [=popped]
We could hear bombs bursting [=exploding] in the distance.
Two of the water pipes burst.
b
: to cause (something) to break open or into pieces
Be careful not to burst [=pop] the balloon.
He burst a blood vessel.
2
: to open suddenly
The doors suddenly burst open.
The cops burst the door open.
3
always followed by an adverb or preposition
: to come or go very quickly and suddenly
He burst into the room.
The sun burst through the clouds.
She burst through the door and yelled "Surprise!"
They just burst in on us [=they suddenly entered the room we were in] without even knocking on the door.
Note: To burst onto/on/upon the scene is to suddenly become very well known.
4
of a river, stream, etc.
: to flow over the surrounding land because of a flood
The stream burst its banks.
plural bursts
1
: a short period of producing or doing something that begins suddenly
She ran hard in short bursts toward the end of the race.
—often + ofa (sudden) burst of speed/laughter/energy
Bursts of machine-gun fire could be heard in the distance.
2
: an act of breaking open or into pieces
the burst of a bubble
: the result of something breaking open or into pieces
The plumber fixed the burst [=(more commonly) break] in the water pipe.
Cite this Entry
“Burst.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/burst. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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