OUTBURST

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does outburst mean? 

• OUTBURST (noun)
  The noun OUTBURST has 3 senses:

1. an unrestrained expression of emotion

2. a sudden intense happening

3. a sudden violent disturbance

  Familiarity information: OUTBURST used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OUTBURST (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An unrestrained expression of emotion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

blowup; ebullition; effusion; gush; outburst

Hypernyms ("outburst" is a kind of...):

expression; manifestation; reflection; reflexion (expression without words)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "outburst"):

acting out (a (usually irritating) impulsive and uncontrollable outburst by a problem child or a neurotic adult)

cry (a fit of weeping)

explosion (a sudden outburst)

flare (a sudden outburst of emotion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A sudden intense happening

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

burst; flare-up; outburst

Context example:

a burst of lightning

Hypernyms ("outburst" is a kind of...):

happening; natural event; occurrence; occurrent (an event that happens)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "outburst"):

salvo (an outburst resembling the discharge of firearms or the release of bombs)

rush (a sudden burst of activity)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A sudden violent disturbance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

outburst; tumultuous disturbance

Hypernyms ("outburst" is a kind of...):

disturbance (the act of disturbing something or someone; setting something in motion)

 Context examples 

This led astronomers to speculate that such "outbursts," which can send material hundreds of miles above the surface, might be much more common than they thought.

(A Hellacious Two Weeks on Jupiter's Moon Io, NASA)

The problem is, Mars will oppose Uranus, which is an unpredictable vibration that could cause emotional outbursts.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The researchers found that, months after treatment, nine children (roughly 6 percent) had thoughts of suicide and experienced outbursts of anger and rage, depression, irritability and anxiety.

(Children with Cushing syndrome may have higher suicide risk, NIH)

Then he stopped, and with a violent effort he resumed a cold, rigid calmness, which was, perhaps, more suggestive of danger than his hot-headed outburst.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A thrill of fear passed through me as I thought that it was my appearance which had produced this outburst.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This outburst rather astonished me, as you can think.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

During each outburst, the star expelled material in a different direction.

(Hubble Views a Colorful Demise of a Sun-like Star, NASA)

He had only one outburst and that was yesterday at an unusual time.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

These field lines may occasionally reconfigure themselves and produce a bright outburst of X-rays.

(NASA’s Chandra Detects Record-Breaking Outburst from Milky Way’s Black Hole, NASA)

As the cold front travels through the galaxy cluster, it passes through a harsh environment of sound waves and turbulence caused by outbursts from the supermassive black hole at the center of Perseus.

(Scientists Surprised by Relentless Cosmic Cold Front, NASA)