burst1 verbburst2 noun
burstburst1 /bɜːst $ bɜːrst/ ●●○ W3 verb (past tense and past participle burst) 
WORD ORIGINburst1
Origin:
Old English berstanVERB TABLE
burst
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | burst |
| he, she, it | bursts | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | burst |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have burst |
| he, she, it | has burst | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had burst |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will burst |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have burst |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am bursting |
| he, she, it | is bursting | |
| you, we, they | are bursting | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was bursting |
| you, we, they | were bursting | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been bursting |
| he, she, it | has been bursting | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been bursting |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be bursting |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been bursting |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- It's a game in which children try to burst balloons by sitting on them.
- The Concorde disaster was caused by a tyre bursting.
- The dam burst after heavy rains.
- Thousands of gallons of oil flowed into the river when an oil pipeline burst.
- As I approached Lovat and the two Officers, a shell burst a short distance away.
- But Chabert, infectious giggles and all, is close enough to her precocious character to want to burst some picture-perfect bubbles.
- Eversince Doyle burst through the door, furious and shouting and shoving, she had stiffened into ice.
- Some days it felt like my head would burst.
- The train struck a dam, which burst, flooding a small town.
- Their fantastically long tails danced behind like bridal trains and burst into colour when they caught the sun's final rays.
THESAURUSto become broken
verb [intransitive] to become damaged and separate into pieces: · Plastic breaks quite easily.
verb [intransitive] to break after being hit with a lot of force: · The bowl smashed as it hit the floor.
verb [intransitive] to break into a lot of small pieces: · The glass shattered all over the pavement.
verb [intransitive] if something cracks, a line appears on the surface, which means that it could later break into separate pieces: · The ice was starting to crack.
verb [intransitive] if a tyre, balloon, pipe etc bursts, it gets a hole and air or liquid suddenly comes out of it: · She blew up the balloon until it burst.
verb [intransitive] to break in a straight line: · The damp had caused the wood to split.
verb [intransitive] to break into a powder or a lot of small pieces: · The cork just crumbled in my hand.
to explode verb [intransitive] if a bomb explodes, it bursts suddenly and violently with a loud noise: · A bomb exploded in a crowded metro station this morning, killing five people.
phrasal verb if a bomb goes off, it explodes. Go off is less formal than explode and is the usual phrase to use in everyday English: · Luckily the station was empty when the bomb went off.· As many as ten bombs went off across the city, most of them car bombs.
phrasal verb if a building, car, plane etc blows up, it bursts suddenly and violently into pieces, causing a lot of damage: · The plane blew up in mid-air, killing all the passengers and crew.· In early 1986, a US space shuttle blew up shortly after launch.
verb [intransitive] if a volcanoerupts, it explodes and sends smoke and rock into the sky: · The volcano has erupted at least fifteen times since 1883.
verb [intransitive] if something that has air or liquid inside it bursts, it explodes and the air or liquid comes out: · One of the water pipes had burst.· The plane caught fire after its tyre burst on landing.
Longman Language Activatorto break into a lot of pieces · One of the mugs rolled off the table and broke into bits on the stone floor.· Investigators are not sure what caused the plane to break into pieces and plunge into the ocean.
if a large object breaks up , it breaks into a lot of pieces especially as a result of natural forces, or serious damage: · The ice breaks up quicker near the shore.· Two of the missiles apparently broke up in flight.· The comet was formed when a planet broke up at some time in the distant past.
British go to pieces American to break into a lot of small pieces, especially because of being weak, old, or badly made: · The book had been read again and again, until it finally fell to pieces.· I picked the bag up, and it went to pieces in my hands.· The trunk was full of old dresses, some of which were falling to pieces.
to break easily into pieces, especially because of being badly made or very old: · I only bought these shoes last week, and they're falling apart already.· His jacket started coming apart at the seams.
if something disintegrates , it breaks into a lot of small pieces so that it is completely destroyed or so that it completely changes its form: · A 50-foot section of the roadway began to disintegrate after only a few cars had passed over it.· The plane disintegrated in midair.· The mummified man's clothes had disintegrated almost completely, but appeared to be mainly of leather and fur.
if something, especially glass, shatters , it breaks suddenly into a lot of very small pieces because it has been dropped or hit: · The glass had shattered, but the photograph itself was undamaged.· Storefront windows shattered and roofs blew off during the hurricane.· Don't try to drive nails into the bricks, they may shatter.
to noisily break into pieces as a result of being dropped or hit: · I heard something smash. What broke?smash to pieces/bits: · The bottle rolled off the table and smashed to pieces on the floor.
if something such as wood splinters , it breaks into thin, sharp pieces: · These types of wood splinter more easily than redwood or cedar.· The coating helps prevent the glass from splintering if it is hit by a rock while you are driving.
to break easily into a powder or into small pieces, especially as a result of being old or dry: · The autumn leaves crumbled in my fingers.· Some of the tiles are crumbling around the edges.
if something such as a tyre or a pipe bursts , the force of the air, water etc inside makes it break into many pieces: · The Concorde disaster was caused by a tyre bursting.· Thousands of gallons of oil flowed into the river when an oil pipeline burst.
especially American if a tyre blows , it breaks open suddenly and all the air comes out of it: · One of the tires blew and they skidded into the center divider.
when something starts burning also catch on fire especially American to start burning accidentally: · Two farm workers died when a barn caught fire yesterday.· The car turned over, but luckily it didn't catch fire.· There was an explosion, and the whole garage caught on fire.
to suddenly start burning and produce a lot of flames that cause serious damage: · The plane crashed into the side of the mountain and burst into flames.· Without warning the toaster burst into flames.
if a building or vehicle goes up or goes up in flames , it starts burning very quickly and usually is destroyed by fire: · Be careful with those matches, or the whole place will go up in flames!· The fire spread slowly until it reached the gas cylinders, then the factory went up in flames.· If the oil tanker goes up, it could burn for weeks.
if a fire breaks out , it starts burning accidentally and spreads very quickly: · Over £20,000 worth of damage was caused when a fire broke out in the cellar.· Would you know what to do if a fire broke out in your school?
to suddenly begin to burn, or suddenly burn much more strongly than before, with a strong, bright flame: · The spilled gasoline suddenly flared up in a sheet of flame.· They threw some dry wood onto the bonfire and it flared up, showering sparks into the night sky.
to start burning: · Scientists could not explain why the gas had suddenly ignited.· The compound ignites at 450 degrees Celsius.
to start to cry · Jim turned away from me and started to cry.· "I want Daddy to come home," Anna said, starting to cry.· Just at that moment, the baby started crying.
to suddenly start to cry because you are upset about something: · Laura burst into tears and ran out of the room.
to suddenly start to cry a lot, after trying not to cry: · I broke down when he'd gone, knowing that I might never see him again.break down and cry: · As the funeral service began, Frances broke down and cried.break down in tears: · All the worry and anxiety had been too much for her, and she suddenly broke down in tears.
British informal to deliberately start to cry in order to get someone's sympathy or persuade them to do something: · She was one of those people who could turn on the waterworks in order to get what they want.
to enter a place · It was getting cold, so we went in.· There was a man at the door trying to stop people from going in.· Don't go in my room - it's a mess.go into something · Make sure you wipe your feet before you go into the house.
if someone comes in , they enter a room or building that you are in: · That must be Nina coming in right now.· As soon as Adrian came in, everyone stopped talking.· Why don't you come in the house for a little while and get warmed up.come into something: · When you first come into the building, you'll see the elevators just across the lobby.
formal to go or come into a room, building, or area: · You need a ticket to enter.· The army entered the city from the north.· As soon as he entered the room, he knew there was something wrong.
to succeed in entering a place, especially when this is difficult or takes a long time: · We queued in the rain for two hours and still didn't get in.· You usually have to wait a while before you can get in the club.get into something: · You shouldn't have any trouble getting into the concert - they've only sold half the tickets.
formal to succeed in entering a place or being allowed to enter, especially when this is difficult or takes a long time: · Brown gained admission by claiming to be a newspaper photographer.gain admission to: · We had to talk to several guards to gain admission to the courtyard.
to suddenly and noisily enter a room: · Two men with guns burst in and told us to lie on the floor.burst in on: · I ran back to Iris's and burst in on Polly who was ironing in the kitchen.burst into something: · Lotty burst into the room waving a letter in the air.
to suddenly enter a room where you are not wanted, for example because you are interrupting someone: · I was studying when Ben suddenly barged in.barge in on: · It's impossible to concentrate when people keep barging in on you.barge into something: · Some of the strikers came barging into the meeting and demanded to speak with the directors.
to enter somewhere in a way that makes the people who are already there notice you: · I waited until everybody was sitting quietly before making my entrance.make a grand entrance: · She walked slowly down the staircase, making a grand entrance.
to enter a place confidently and calmly, especially when other people would be a little nervous or embarrassed to enter: · Katie breezes in at eleven o'clock each morning, two hours late.breeze into something: · Giles just breezed into the office, used the phone, and then breezed out again.
when a door or window opens · The train doors open and close automatically.· The door slowly opened and a small boy entered the room.· After a short discussion with the customs officers, the gates opened and the truck moved off.
to open very suddenly - used especially in stories or descriptions: · Before Mr Carey could speak, the door burst open and Mr Watson rushed into the room.· Every time we go round a corner, the passenger door flies open.
to sing to make musical sounds with your voice, especially the words of a song: · Sophie sings in the church choir.· I could hear someone singing downstairs.sing a song/tune/hymn etc: · They sat together and sang songs.· All the family sang 'Happy Birthday' as Dad came in.sing somebody something: · Come on, David, sing us a song!sing to: · She sat in a corner, singing softly to her baby.sing along (=sing with someone who is already singing): · Sing along if you know the words.sing in tune/out of tune (=sing the right or wrong notes): · Anyone who could play an instrument or sing in tune was enlisted to take part in the concert.
the activity of singing: · I hear Frank's taken up singing again.· Everyone joined in with the singing.· He asked her why she didn't make use of her talent and give singing lessons.singing career: · Danni decided to come to England to launch her singing career.
to sing a song loudly and powerfully: belt out something: · The choir belted out songs from West End shows for over an hour.belt it out: · This is a big theatre - you have to really belt it out.
to suddenly start singing: · He felt so happy he wanted to burst into song.· The orchestra played a few notes and the choir burst into song.
to sing in a very soft, musical way: · A woman gently crooned the tune of a lullaby.· She wandered around the tables, while crooning ''Embraceable You''.
if a member of a band is on vocals , they are singing the song's words: · The band was formed in 1999, with Stevie on vocals.on backing vocals (=singing the background tune, not the main one): · We went to see a band who had Julia Fordham on backing vocals.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
The pipes had burst and the house was under two feet of water. Your mum’s bursting with pride for you. Claire looked as if she were about to burst into tears. Suddenly, the group burst into laughter. Lydia burst into song. The band burst onto the music scene in 1997.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES He burst the balloon in my face. I heard a burst of distant gunfire.
The pipes had burst and the house was under two feet of water. Your mum’s bursting with pride for you. Claire looked as if she were about to burst into tears. Suddenly, the group burst into laughter. Lydia burst into song. The band burst onto the music scene in 1997. He burst the balloon in my face. (=opens very suddenly and quickly)· Then the door burst open and two men with guns came in.
(=have a lot of energy)· I felt happy and full of energy.· The stage was bursting with energy.
(=a short sudden increase in energy)· He tried to summon up one final burst of energy, but his legs wouldn’t respond.
(=be very excited and enthusiastic)· Andrea’s voice was brimming with enthusiasm when she told John her plans.
(=a sudden feeling of enthusiasm)· The new year began with a fresh wave of enthusiasm.
British English informal (=completely full) The filing cabinet was full to bursting.
The filing cabinet was full to bursting. I heard a burst of distant gunfire. (=suddenly start laughing)· She looked at him and burst out laughing.
(=suddenly start laughing)· Flora burst into laughter when I told her the joke.
(=a short period of loud laughter)· There was a loud burst of laughter behind me.
· A burst pipe can cause major structural damage quite quickly.
(=a time when something is completely full)· The hospital was full to bursting point.
(=feel very proud)· I could see that her mother was bursting with pride.
(=start singing)· The crowd spontaneously burst into song.
(=suddenly start crying)· She burst into tears and begged me to stay.
(=when you are very angry for a short time)· A businessman assaulted his wife and son in a fit of temper, a court heard yesterday.
· On lap two, Millar suffered a burst tire, which caused him to crash.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Almost bursting with frustration, Carla Sloane swept past Mr Skipton and out of the kitchen.· He had succeeded where I had quit, and I almost burst with pride.· She struggled, kicking out hopelessly, and her heart almost burst with panic.· Agnes had almost burst out laughing when she first realized this, but you wouldn't be able to argue with them.· In a trench to his rear that he had ordered to be abandoned the previous night, eight shells burst almost simultaneously.· It produced an air burst almost a mile wide.
· The volley gun is burst apart and its crew blasted to pieces.· Her head felt as if it would burst apart.· Ezra did not back away when the water burst apart.
· Will tomorrow's flashes of scientific insight burst forth beneath the strobe lights of studio 54?· Athena burst forth, armed as a warrior.· It is time to leave off, his daughter tells him, it s time to burst forth like a butterfly.· But it is hard to resist a plant once you see it burst forth in flawless bloom from the frozen ground.· Within that frigate were seeds of destruction that would soon burst forth.· Sown in March, they will be full and leafy by the time the roses burst forth in early June.· Thwarted in the East it then burst forth in the West.· Resurrection, therefore, means that moment when one bursts forth from the sepulchre of the old man.
· At any minute Penumbra's killers could burst in here and carry you off.· Finally she burst in on him with a big kiss.· Her habit of jealously bursting in on Gustave when he was dining with friends was notorious.· The mob in reaction burst in and set the torch to the structure.· A few seconds later the door swung back open and the chef burst in.· They burst in on the somewhat startled signalman who was puzzled by the dramatic appearance of the two familiar faces.· When he came bursting in from the cold, Maggie knew some-thing was wrong.
· The war is over and everyone bursts out singing!· The whole group bursts out laughing.· Immediately they all burst out into shouts of applause and praise.· Suddenly three round-headed porpoises came bursting out of the nearly vertical wavefront immediately behind us.· A door blew open and the pent sounds burst out fleeing.· The holly tree shrank, then burst out again, swelling into the shape of a woman.· If I bottle it up, then it bursts out.· It burst out again over iconoclasm.
· Ten minutes after the break Middlesbrough suddenly burst into attack with two good chances in a minute.· One final, explosive question remains: Why did a virus that was once so rare suddenly burst into a global pandemic?· At dinner in the garden one evening, for instance, two perfectly ordinary businessmen suddenly burst into a Verdi duet.· The discontent with de Gaulle's policies, which had been building steadily since 1958, suddenly burst into the open.· An innocent-looking box will suddenly burst one side with garish laughter.· If voters say they want politicians to care, how do you show it - you can't suddenly burst into tears.· The flame that had been burning inside her since their first kiss burst suddenly into flame.
· The holly tree shrank, then burst out again, swelling into the shape of a woman.· Gorbachev looked shocked by my familiarity, then burst into laughter.· Lungs pounding out torrents of frozen breath, we speed down narrow forest corridors, then burst into dazzling clearings.· He began to suffocate and then burst through a plane of white anger to the surface.· She nodded in affirmation, then burst into shuddering tears.· Yo went quiet for the first time in months, then burst into tears.· Thwarted in the East it then burst forth in the West.· The cabin then burst into fire, destroying the entire aircraft.
· In the dying minutes, full-back, Paul Bodin burst through.· Following a brief but noisy scuffle, the window banged open and a shadowy figure burst through.· Leeds continued to pile on the points as Iro burst through for loose forward Hanley to score a seventh try.· John Hendrie burst through in the closing minutes, but his strong shot was pushed away for a corner by Bob Bolder.· Depressing the handle, he burst through into the room beyond.· And when it bursts through, it's a flood.· Then, as if by magic, the sun burst through what had until then been a rather grey day.· Andy Payton was denied with a good Bobby Mimms save as he burst through on the first occasion.
NOUN· The curtains closed and the audience burst into applause and cheers.· On the television, quick bursts of canned applause.· The bowing stopped: the hundred men burst into applause.· The courtroom burst into applause and shouts when the verdict was read.· Jeffries turned away to look out the window and the class burst into applause.· The audience burst into grateful applause.
· The soldier, becoming bored with the game, laconically reached out his cigarette end and burst the balloon in my face.· As soon as they succeed the next person in the team bursts her balloon and the game continues until everyone has finished.· Dad was better than anyone; he burst six balloons, one after the other.
· Denied its usual egress, the river had burst its banks and was pouring down the fire-ravaged streets.· The River Deben had burst its banks and people's homes were getting flooded.· Residents were evacuated from the town as the waters rose and the Ouse threatened to burst its banks.· There were torrential rains, rivers burst their banks and flooded standing crops, churches were struck by lightning in heavy thunderstorms.· Dozens are missing - swept away after torrential rains caused rivers to burst their banks.· The River Frome had burst its banks after torrential rain and the Rovers' ground was absolutely waterlogged.· Homes and shops were flooded and farm animals marooned as rivers burst their banks.· If the rain continues then the rivers could swell and burst the banks.
· The truth is that the bubble has burst.· The bubble is bound to burst.· The bubble burst in 1992 and all over the country people were left with burned fingers.· There are to be no rockets, only soap bubbles bursting in air and the laughter of children.· By the late 60s the folk-blues bubble had burst.· But the bubble burst when he failed to raise the cash for the scheme.· But now dealers say the bubble has burst.· Scrabble is still the best seller and there's no sign of the Trivial Pursuit bubble bursting either.
· I open the door and burst into the warm night air.· The bedroom door had burst open and Peter was striding into the room.· The doors of the dining-room burst open.· Then the pub door burst open and two women tumbled out, drinks in their hands, and began dancing and singing.· I was squatting there, contemplating my future, when suddenly the door burst open.
· Except sunlight, which pours on the artificial reef in a steady burst of halide energy.· Mr Devlin portrays himself as a dynamic character, bursting with enthusiasm and energy and commitment to the constituency.· Yet, the musical execution is slick and the production bursting with energy.
· About midnight four days later, the headquarters building of the Housing Executive burst into flames and was badly damaged.· The fuel tanks on the planes rupture and burst into flame.· As she settled back down it continued to cook and burst into flames.· There is just one drawback to their island paradise: every so often it bursts into flame beneath them.· The red and bronze leaves, caught in the low sun, looked as though they might at any moment burst into flame.· Like a sheet of crepe paper, the wooden house burst into flames and burned to the ground in minutes.· They had both burst into flames after the explosion, police said.· The tale was as false as the water that refused to burst into flames.
· Now, out into the open ground they burst....
· The ridiculousness of the situation made him smile and, throwing his head back, he burst into peals of laughter.· His head filled with bursting light, splintering, swirling pain.· He always had to leave off before he came, feeling sure his head would burst otherwise.· Some days it felt like my head would burst.· Waves crashed over their heads and burst through the open saloon door.· Headache as if head would burst with the cough.
· Then she had gasped as he entered her and her poor heart burst with joy.· My heart seems about to burst, I can not get my breath.· She struggled, kicking out hopelessly, and her heart almost burst with panic.· Neva's heart nearly burst within her for pride and joy at being chosen by such a noble knight.· And in that instant her heart seemed to burst with love inside her and simultaneously shrivel with grief and helplessness.· With a heart fit to burst through tension, at last, a noise.
· Archer cried, bursting into a laugh.· It's bursting with great laughs and good gags.
· Blue, blue eyes caught and held hers, and she burst into delighted laughter.· Gorbachev looked shocked by my familiarity, then burst into laughter.· I found myself wandering round with a wry smile on my face and occasionally bursting into laughter at my own presumption.· They were doubled over, poking at each other, making cryptic comments and bursting again into laughter.· They burst into laughter and we piled once again into his car for another search.· She burst into laughter in the Sabbath dimness of the place.· The ridiculousness of the situation made him smile and, throwing his head back, he burst into peals of laughter.· Both of them said the word on the same downbeat, which made them burst into laughter at how hilarious they sounded.
· Banks of electrical jiggery-pokery burst into life.· When he fired his grin, Sammler, himself nearly a corpse, burst into life.· When he'd appeared just now, her whole body had burst into life.· The fourth-round replay began at a frantic pace and burst into life after 12 minutes.· Well Loaded are bursting with life and enough youth to get refused service at the bar.· The present tidal estuary is far from dormant; in fact, it's bursting with life.· After a goal-less first half, the game burst into life with a goal and a sending off inside three minutes.· In between the universe expands, particles pop into existence, galaxies coalesce and stars burst into life.
· The plumber is ill, the doctor's pipes have burst, and so on.
· Neva's heart nearly burst within her for pride and joy at being chosen by such a noble knight.· He had succeeded where I had quit, and I almost burst with pride.· The day I was made sales manager I thought I'd burst with pride.
· As soon as the doctor arrived, he ran breathlessly into the house and burst into the room without knocking.· His partner meanwhile, burst into the room, pistol in hand, the stammerer hard on his heels.· Depressing the handle, he burst through into the room beyond.· All of a sudden the far wall exploded inwards and a broiling mass of water burst into the room.· For example, I just returned from an exhibition and wrote a 6,000 word report in one burst in my hotel room.· Duncan had been asleep when the policeman burst into the room to give him the news that Leeming had been found.· Sylvie's voice burst upon the room.· A group of five or six men, all in flared trousers and dark glasses, burst into the room.
· No working-class party immediately burst on to the scene to dance on the floor of Parliament.· He himself-like Michael Atherton and Ramprakash-burst on to the scene early.
· Schools are often bursting at the seams.· Our neighborhood looked like a refugee camp, bursting its seams.· Bedford was already bursting at the seams with refugees of all kinds.· As it is, the Shishu Bhawans seem to be bursting at their seams.· The island couldn't be bursting at the seams, surely?
· As I approached Lovat and the two Officers, a shell burst a short distance away.· The eighteen guns were back in the cemetery, and a storm of shell began bursting over and among our infantry.· Every shell that bursts Blows it momentarily out, and he has to light it.· As the enemy approach still nearer, shells burst upon their compact masses.· In a trench to his rear that he had ordered to be abandoned the previous night, eight shells burst almost simultaneously.· The shells were bursting....· A twelve-pounder shell... burst right in front of me.
· From time to time somebody would burst into song or laughter, and some people continued to whisper on and off all through the night.· And with that he clasped both hands gently over his chest and burst into song.· And indeed, from this lofty site Loch Arkaig itself is a vision to make you burst into song.· When the choir commenced the first carol, even the most self-conscious among them burst into song.· She burst into songs between the stories.· With a smock artfully covering his paunchy frame, Pavarotti, 56, burst into golden-toned song.
· Still pinned to the floor I was about to burst into tears of frustration when I was suddenly released.· A moment passed, and then Derby burst into tears.· Once again she was bursting into tears over nothing at all.· Later I went for a drive, squashed between Koju and Raju, and burst into tears.· Then she started running wildly through the streets, and when she was exhausted she stopped and burst into tears.· He took a deep breath, standing quietly by the door, and then surprised himself by bursting into tears.· You just shout at them and they burst into tears.
VERB· You can feel it bursting the shell.· She felt as though she might burst with the joy that filled her.· Her heart pumped so strongly she felt she'd burst.· Now he felt he would burst if he couldn't impart all that was going on in his mind.· Why she should suddenly feel like bursting out laughing, Leith had no idea.· Yet one that was hard to keep to yourself, she could feel it bursting out all over her.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► burst somebody’s bubblePHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► burst/prick somebody’s bubble► go up in flames/burst into flames
1break open [intransitive, transitive] if something bursts, or if you burst it, it breaks open or apart suddenly and violently so that its contents come out: - As it is, the Shishu Bhawans seem to be bursting at their seams.
- By the time I got into position, my lungs were bursting and I had to go up for air again.
- His entire back was bursting with fluids at the end of that day.
- Once again she was bursting into tears over nothing at all.
- She was bursting to relieve herself, but even though that was what was wanted of her, she couldn't.
- Sure enough, the enemy mortars were bursting in the fields on both sides of the road.
- The shells were bursting...
- Well Loaded are bursting with life and enough youth to get refused service at the bar.
- Denied its usual egress, the river had burst its banks and was pouring down the fire-ravaged streets.
- Residents were evacuated from the town as the waters rose and the Ouse threatened to burst its banks.
- The River Deben had burst its banks and people's homes were getting flooded.
- The River Frome had burst its banks after torrential rain and the Rovers' ground was absolutely waterlogged.
- Dad Mark managed to carry her to safety before the alarm burst into flames.
- Directly ahead, a pair of stately old coconut trees burst into flame.
- Like a sheet of crepe paper, the wooden house burst into flames and burned to the ground in minutes.
- Several of the vehicles burst into flames, according to initial reports.
- The airliner struck the ground some 50 metres short of the runway, turned over and burst into flames.
- The bomb, thrown out of the Ford Cortina's passenger window, burst into flames in the road.
- There is just one drawback to their island paradise: every so often it bursts into flame beneath them.
- They had both burst into flames after the explosion, police said.
- At that point I burst out laughing.
- Charles didn't respond and after a frozen pause, she collapsed into a chair and burst out crying.
- He did it so cleverly that you would think it was the real thing - until he burst out laughing.
- I came down the steps of the Ashbery that morning and burst out laughing at the heat.
- I said and burst out crying.
- Julie, surprised, burst out laughing.
- The whole group bursts out laughing.
- The woman and children burst out laughing again, getting up from the table and crowding round me.
- a story bursting with ideas
- The window boxes were bursting with flowers.
- A blueberry muffin should be bursting with blueberries, an apple muffin heavy with apples.
- At your age one is bursting with ideals.
- Every weekend, Anthony was bursting with news for him.
- Fender's life outside cricket was bursting with unusual achievements.
- He's got holy terror written all over his face, and his eyes are bursting with pure demon.
- His entire back was bursting with fluids at the end of that day.
- On the street where Lucy lived, cherry trees were bursting with pink and white like fairground popcorn.
- Well Loaded are bursting with life and enough youth to get refused service at the bar.
- The door burst open and the kids piled into the house.
- But then the door bursts open and yet more soldiers push into the room.
- Douglas burst open the door into the first, where somebody had lit a lamp.
- She says the door bursts open just when they reach the cages and the monster comes through.
- The bedroom door had burst open and Peter was striding into the room.
- The door of the shuddering carriage burst open, and Fedorov tumbled out, struggling with the woman.
- Then the door'd burst open and Albert Swift and his gang had walked in.
- Two bags of paper money hurtled on to the road and burst open.
- She was bursting to relieve herself, but even though that was what was wanted of her, she couldn't.
- The vast reservoir of information he had acquired was bursting to be expressed.
- They were bursting to tell her things she would never know.
- I shall not wait until the bubble bursts.
- The question is, how long can this go on before the bubble bursts?
- He had clearly been sobbing fit to burst, but he was now past that.
- Sam is happy fit to burst.
- The yak meat was tough, but after weeks of barley meal we feasted until fit to burst.
- When she turned round, her cheeks were fat as balloons, fit to burst.
- With a heart fit to burst through tension, at last, a noise.
- The auditorium was bulging at the seams during the governor's talk.
- The island couldn't be bursting at the seams, surely?
The pipes had burst and the house was under two feet of water.► see thesaurus at break, explode2be bursting with something to have a lot of something or be filled with something: John was bursting with ideas and good humour. The shops are bursting with food.be bursting with pride/energy/excitement etc Your mum’s bursting with pride for you.3move suddenly [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move somewhere suddenly or quickly, especially into or out of a placeburst into/through/in etc Jo burst into the room.4burst open to open suddenly: The door burst open and Tom ran into the room.5be bursting to do something informal to want to do something very much: Zach was bursting to tell them something.6be bursting a)British English informal to need to go to the toilet very soon b) (also be bursting at the seams) to be so full that nothing else can fit inside7burst somebody’s bubble to make someone suddenly realize that something is not as good as they thought it was: Steve was so happy I couldn’t bear to burst his bubble.8burst its banks if a river bursts its banks, water from it goes onto the land → full (up) to bursting at full1(1), → burst/prick somebody's bubble at bubble1(7), → the bubble bursts at bubble1(6)burst in on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb to interrupt someone or something by entering a room, in a way that embarrasses you or other people: I’m sorry to burst in on you like this.burst into something phrasal verb1to suddenly begin to make a sound, especially to start singing, crying, or laughing: Claire looked as if she were about to burst into tears. Suddenly, the group burst into laughter. Lydia burst into song.2burst into flames/flame to suddenly start to burn very strongly: Their car crashed and burst into flames.burst onto/upon/on something phrasal verb to suddenly appear and become very successful: The band burst onto the music scene in 1997.burst out phrasal verb1burst out laughing/crying/singing etc to suddenly start to laugh, cry etc: Everyone burst out laughing.2to suddenly say something in a forceful way: ‘I don’t believe it!’ she burst out angrily. → outburst(1)burst1 verbburst2 noun
burstburst2 ●○○ noun [countable] EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- They scored 14 points in a five-minute burst.
- A loud burst of singing gave away the presence of the ubiquitous wren.
- Surface bursts of large nuclear weapons are an essential part of strategic nuclear war.
- The fast twitch fibres have a much higher contraction speed and are associated with dynamic bursts of energy.
- There was a burst of incomprehensible laughter.
- This had been Sir Ivor at his brilliant best, striking with one deadly burst of speed.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES He burst the balloon in my face. I heard a burst of distant gunfire.
He burst the balloon in my face. (=opens very suddenly and quickly)· Then the door burst open and two men with guns came in.
(=have a lot of energy)· I felt happy and full of energy.· The stage was bursting with energy.
(=a short sudden increase in energy)· He tried to summon up one final burst of energy, but his legs wouldn’t respond.
(=be very excited and enthusiastic)· Andrea’s voice was brimming with enthusiasm when she told John her plans.
(=a sudden feeling of enthusiasm)· The new year began with a fresh wave of enthusiasm.
British English informal (=completely full) The filing cabinet was full to bursting.
The filing cabinet was full to bursting. I heard a burst of distant gunfire. (=suddenly start laughing)· She looked at him and burst out laughing.
(=suddenly start laughing)· Flora burst into laughter when I told her the joke.
(=a short period of loud laughter)· There was a loud burst of laughter behind me.
· A burst pipe can cause major structural damage quite quickly.
(=a time when something is completely full)· The hospital was full to bursting point.
(=feel very proud)· I could see that her mother was bursting with pride.
(=start singing)· The crowd spontaneously burst into song.
(=suddenly start crying)· She burst into tears and begged me to stay.
(=when you are very angry for a short time)· A businessman assaulted his wife and son in a fit of temper, a court heard yesterday.
· On lap two, Millar suffered a burst tire, which caused him to crash.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Time perhaps for a final burst of exercise.· But the decision was taken that he should carry on and try to summon one final burst of energy.· With a final burst of furious rain, the sky cleared and I dragged my bag along the road in blinding sunshine.· In a final burst of bad temper, Mr Fang said that his time had been wasted.· Andrew enters at the end of the eighth bar, slightly across the final burst from Waddy.
· His blood lay Steaming on the snow, bright red, a great burst of it.· I think I cried about ten minutes in great sobbing bursts of noise, tears, and snot.
· Suddenly there was a long burst of machine gun fire.· First a short string of them, then a longer burst leapt up from the dark.· I could clearly hear the roar of engines above me, and distinctly heard one long burst of cannon fire.· The longest burst consisted of 13 repetitive waves.· What we know less about is why some people expend energy in short bursts while others sustain much longer bursts.
· There is a buzz of chatter with an occasional burst of laughter.· And the occasional burst pipe can cause major structural damage rather quickly.· The bombing had stopped, and all we could hear was the occasional burst of gunfire.· This was not a collection that sparked shouts, cheers or even an occasional burst of polite applause.· The occasional burst of speed is required to outrun real and imaginary predators.· The occasional burst of singing wafts up through the yellow leaves, mixed with the mouldy astringent smell of rotting apples.
· It can be caused when skin that isn't used to the sun is exposed to short bursts of strong sunlight.· Hours later, three short bursts of automatic gunfire sent police scurrying for cover Wednesday morning.· The normal subject displayed only short bursts of reflux with a maximum duration of four minutes.· Shred meat by hand or in short bursts in food processor.· In addition to changes in structure and general climate there is a place for short bursts of motivational effort.· Most also fail to fire short bursts their first try with the machinegun.· From a tap penalty the forwards drove in short bursts, and then took the ball wide to Joe Roff.· The men waded fast through the water after him, crouching, firing short bursts towards the trees.
· The rain pelted down in sudden bursts, but the downpours did not amount to much.· In a single song, he can employ sudden bursts of falsetto or a teasing growl.· She could of course, she thought with that sudden burst of adolescent enthusiasm, not live.· Why the sudden burst of vision?· She saw him crumple them up in a sudden burst of impatience, and fling them across the parade.· I wish I could say that I wrote steadily at the story of my life after that sudden burst of inspiration.· Sounds like a sudden burst of co-operation between the world's tractor makers?· There was a sudden burst of laughing and giggling on the other end.
NOUN· When the art bubble burst, prices not only fell in this area, they stopped.· I shall not wait until the bubble bursts.· But the market saturated, the bubble burst, and everyone thought the console business was finished.· After the bubble burst and concerns about the market grew, annual Show results became closely watched indicators of market strength.· Many software and hardware companies enjoyed rapid expansion before the bubble burst and market growth slowed.
VERB· She felt a burst of sympathy but she firmly crushed it.· Mitch looked stunned and she felt an incredible burst of guilt that she had not told him about this girl's problem.· He felt a burst of pain in his eye and cheek.· She felt again a burst of resentment against Treadwell and the Bishop.· She felt a sudden burst of indignation against these overstuffed bigwigs cramming themselves with food, while she sat and starved.· Not that it would be at all necessary, she reassured herself as she felt a sudden burst of fright.
· At that moment, Jovic fired a burst and killed Mr Krasniqi.· Most also fail to fire short bursts their first try with the machinegun.· He fired an experimental burst into the air, and waved his armoured troops forwards like George S. Patton himself.· The men waded fast through the water after him, crouching, firing short bursts towards the trees.· I ran to join them and raised my rifle to fire a burst for cover as they ran past me.· Whittingham, who fired a three second burst from astern and then broke away.
· There followed a burst of building that radically changed the face of the city.
· Before it he had been a loud, jovial man, given to spontaneous bursts of affection.· Add the strawberries or jam to the mixture and give them a quick burst.· They come in nine shades and give a short-lived burst of colour which fades over three to four shampoos.· The tail, or caudal fin, is large and sickle-shaped, to give short, rapid bursts of speed.· But this fighter sheered-off without firing a shot, after our rear gunner had given it several short bursts.· She went into the bedroom and gave way to a burst of weeping.· Icy cold man, the old count, and given to bursts of rage.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► burst/prick somebody’s bubble► go up in flames/burst into flames
1the act of something bursting or the place where it has burst: - I shall not wait until the bubble bursts.
- The question is, how long can this go on before the bubble bursts?
- He had clearly been sobbing fit to burst, but he was now past that.
- Sam is happy fit to burst.
- The yak meat was tough, but after weeks of barley meal we feasted until fit to burst.
- When she turned round, her cheeks were fat as balloons, fit to burst.
- With a heart fit to burst through tension, at last, a noise.
- The auditorium was bulging at the seams during the governor's talk.
- The island couldn't be bursting at the seams, surely?
a burst in the water pipe2a)a short sudden effort or increase in activityburst of The van gave a sudden burst of speed. b)a short sudden and usually loud soundburst of sharp bursts of machine gun fire c)a sudden strong feeling or emotionburst of anger/enthusiasm/temper etc