Outburst

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈaʊtˌbɝst/

Definitions

1. A sudden and violent expression of strong emotion or energy that breaks forth unexpectedly
2. A burst of emotion manifests unexpectedly and can include loud expressions or spontaneous actions stemming from feelings like anger or excitement
3. A sudden release of strong feelings or emotions, often characterized by loudness or unexpectedness, can occur in moments of tension or excitement

Etymology: "Outburst" is a plain compound: "out" plus "burst," with the sense of something bursting forth. Its roots run back to Middle English "outbersten" and "outbresten," which emerged from the same family of verbs that gave English "burst" itself. The same pattern shows up across the Germanic languages, where Dutch "uitbarsten" and German "ausbersten" both mean to erupt or burst out. The word's meaning has stayed close to its physical origin. Something that bursts out is a sudden, forceful release, and the word applies that image to feelings, so an outburst of anger or excitement is an emotion that breaks out of containment all at once. The word has no older, opposite sense to recover; its history is a direct, transparent extension of the verb.

Synonyms: eruption, explosion, burst, outpouring, spasm

Antonyms: calm, silence