What does "burst" mean?
An act or instance of bursting.
Burst
/bɝst/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act or instance of bursting.
- Grammar: burst is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: outburst, abound, access, ado.
- Useful contrasts: calm, close, diminish.
- Usage evidence: By September the burst in spending seemed to be tapering off.
How to use "burst"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "burst" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "burst" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "burst" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "burst" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "burst" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "outburst" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "burst", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act or instance of bursting.
"The bursts of the bombs could be heard miles away."
- 2 the act of exploding or bursting wordnet
- 3 A sudden, often intense, expression, manifestation or display.
"I read it in two bursts."
- 4 a sudden flurry of activity (often for no obvious reason) wordnet
- 5 A series of shots fired from an automatic firearm.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms wordnet
- 7 The explosion of a bomb or missile.
"a ground burst; a surface burst"
- 8 a sudden intense happening wordnet
- 9 A drinking spree. archaic
Verb
- 1 To break from internal pressure. intransitive
"I blew the balloon up too much, and it burst."
- 2 burst outward, usually with noise wordnet
- 3 To cause to break from internal pressure. transitive
"I burst the balloon when I blew it up too much."
- 4 come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure wordnet
- 5 To cause to break by any means. obsolete, transitive
"You will not pay for the glasses you have burst?"
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 break open or apart suddenly and forcefully wordnet
- 7 To separate (printer paper) at perforation lines. transitive
"I printed the report on form-feed paper, then burst the sheets."
- 8 emerge suddenly wordnet
- 9 To enter or exit hurriedly and unexpectedly. intransitive
"1913, Mariano Azuela, The Underdogs, translated by E. MunguÍa, Jr. Like hungry dogs who have sniffed their meat, the mob bursts in, trampling down the women who sought to bar the entrance with their bodies."
- 10 force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up wordnet
- 11 To erupt; to change state suddenly as if bursting. intransitive
"The flowers burst into bloom on the first day of spring."
- 12 move suddenly, energetically, or violently wordnet
- 13 To produce as an effect of bursting. transitive
"to burst a hole through the wall"
- 14 cause to burst wordnet
- 15 To interrupt suddenly in a violent or explosive manner; to shatter. transitive
"The sharp report of a gun burst the silence, and a moment later the gate swung open."
- 16 be in a state of movement or action wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"By September the burst in spending seemed to be tapering off."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "burst"?
Common synonyms include: outburst, abound, access, ado, adrenaline rush, aggravated.
How do you use "burst" in a sentence?
By September the burst in spending seemed to be tapering off.
How do you pronounce "burst"?
Pronounced /bɝst/.
Etymology
From Middle English bresten, bersten, from Old English berstan, from Proto-West Germanic *brestan, from Proto-Germanic *brestaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰres- (“to burst, break, crack, split, separate”), enlargement of *bʰreHi- (“to snip, split”). See also West Frisian boarste, Dutch barsten, Danish briste, Swedish brista; also Irish bris (“to break”)). More at brine. Also cognate to debris.