burst also bursted; bursting
1
: to break open, apart, or into pieces usually from impact or from pressure from within
the balloon burst
the pipes burst
2
a
: to give way from an excess of emotion
my heart will burst
b
: to give vent suddenly to a repressed emotion
burst into tears
burst out laughing
3
4
: to be filled to the breaking point
bursting with excitement
a crate bursting with fruit
1
: to cause to burst
burst a balloon
2
a
: to force open (something, such as a door or a way) by strong or vigorous action
b
: to flood over
the river burst its banks
3
: to produce by or as if by bursting
1
2
: an act of bursting
the burst of a bubble
a burst of confidence
3
: a result of bursting
had the plumber fix the burst
especially, firearms
: a visible puff accompanying the explosion of a shell (see shell entry 1 sense 9b)
Synonyms
Examples of burst in a Sentence
Verb
Two of the water pipes burst.
He burst a blood vessel.
The doors suddenly burst open.
The cops burst the door open.
He burst into the room.
The sun burst through the clouds.
She burst through the door and yelled “Surprise!”.
Noun
She ran hard in short bursts toward the end of the race.
the burst of a bubble
Recent Examples on the Web
Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2024
The Ural River, which runs from the Ural Mountains to the Caspian Sea, burst through a dam Friday in Orsk, a city of about 200,000 people.
—Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The impact had broken their ribs and burst their lungs.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
The Italy of Anthony Minghella’s remarkable 1999 adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley is positively bursting with la dolce vita.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
Every spring, somewhere between mid-March to mid-May, the Netherlands comes alive with color as its legendary tulips burst from the ground, snapping winter’s harsh spell.
—Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2024
How to keep pipes from bursting When temperatures drop to freezing conditions, pipes have the potential to burst because of the expansion of water.
—Staff Reports, The Arizona Republic, 1 Apr. 2024
Lots of cheese bound together with a little mayo and bursting with tiny flavor bombs of pimento peppers.
—Michelle Gross, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2024
Add that to creative craft cocktails, elaborate multifaceted costumes and a theater bursting with candelabras and chandeliers that feels like Versailles has been transported to Bushwick, Brooklyn.
—Jeryl Brunner, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Robert Maher, a gunfire acoustics expert at Montana State University in the United States, who analyzed the footage for CNN, said that the bursts indicated heavy automatic gunfire at 600 rounds per minute.
—Katie Polglase, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
Sudden bursts of cheering rang out from the growing sea of viewers donning eclipse glasses and tilting cameras upward at the ready, as the partial eclipse peeked through dark clouds in fleeting intervals.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024
Social media is in essence a brain drain between sporadic bursts of breaking news and fresh commentary.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
About a month ago, a water main near his parents' home burst.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 1 Apr. 2024
The Pompeii site, rediscovered only in the 16th century, has seen a burst of recent archaeological activity aimed at halting years of decay and neglect.
—Reuters, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024
Those trapped inside captured the grim scene on their cell phones: assailants fanning out with weapons drawn, bursts of automatic gunfire, bodies slumped on the floor.
—Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2024
Footage of the incident shows the cargo ship smash into one of the columns before the bridge snapped, hit the water and partially fell on the ship, where a burst of flames and smoke could be seen rising into the night sky.
—Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
Verb
Then the light will wobble, shifting to a shimmery gold, and the sun will burst through, reclaiming its place in the sky.
—Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2024
The Ural River, which runs from the Ural Mountains to the Caspian Sea, burst through a dam Friday in Orsk, a city of about 200,000 people.
—Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The impact had broken their ribs and burst their lungs.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
The Italy of Anthony Minghella’s remarkable 1999 adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley is positively bursting with la dolce vita.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
Every spring, somewhere between mid-March to mid-May, the Netherlands comes alive with color as its legendary tulips burst from the ground, snapping winter’s harsh spell.
—Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2024
How to keep pipes from bursting When temperatures drop to freezing conditions, pipes have the potential to burst because of the expansion of water.
—Staff Reports, The Arizona Republic, 1 Apr. 2024
Lots of cheese bound together with a little mayo and bursting with tiny flavor bombs of pimento peppers.
—Michelle Gross, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2024
Add that to creative craft cocktails, elaborate multifaceted costumes and a theater bursting with candelabras and chandeliers that feels like Versailles has been transported to Bushwick, Brooklyn.
—Jeryl Brunner, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Noun
Considered our solar system's largest explosive events, solar flares occur when magnetic energy associated with sunspots is released, creating intense bursts of radiation.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Robert Maher, a gunfire acoustics expert at Montana State University in the United States, who analyzed the footage for CNN, said that the bursts indicated heavy automatic gunfire at 600 rounds per minute.
—Katie Polglase, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
Sudden bursts of cheering rang out from the growing sea of viewers donning eclipse glasses and tilting cameras upward at the ready, as the partial eclipse peeked through dark clouds in fleeting intervals.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024
Social media is in essence a brain drain between sporadic bursts of breaking news and fresh commentary.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
About a month ago, a water main near his parents' home burst.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 1 Apr. 2024
The Pompeii site, rediscovered only in the 16th century, has seen a burst of recent archaeological activity aimed at halting years of decay and neglect.
—Reuters, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024
Those trapped inside captured the grim scene on their cell phones: assailants fanning out with weapons drawn, bursts of automatic gunfire, bodies slumped on the floor.
—Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2024
Footage of the incident shows the cargo ship smash into one of the columns before the bridge snapped, hit the water and partially fell on the ship, where a burst of flames and smoke could be seen rising into the night sky.
—Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'burst.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English bersten, from Old English berstan; akin to Old High German brestan to burst
Noun
derivative of burst entry 1
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun
circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of burst was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing burst
Dictionary Entries Near burst
Cite this Entry
“Burst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burst. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
burst
1 of 2 verb
burst; bursting
1
a
: to break open or in pieces (as by an explosion from within)
the balloon burst
buds bursting open
b
: to cause to burst
2
a
: to suddenly show one's feelings
burst into tears
b
: to begin to do something suddenly
burst into song
3
: to come or go suddenly
burst into the room
4
: to be filled to the breaking point
just bursting with energy
burst
2 of 2 noun1
: a sudden release or effort
a burst of speed
2
: a firing of many shots at the same time
More from Merriam-Webster on burst
Nglish: Translation of burst for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of burst for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about burst
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share