burst out

2 meanings

Meanings
  1. 1 suddenly start laughing or crying B2
  2. 2 say something suddenly and loudly B2
1 burst out

suddenly start laughing or crying

B2

What does "burst out" mean in this sense?

To burst out laughing or crying means to suddenly and uncontrollably start doing so — often without any warning or intention. The reaction feels involuntary, as if the emotion simply could not be held back any longer. It typically describes a single, sharp moment when someone loses control of their response, whether from amusement, sadness, or another strong feeling. The phrase strongly suggests that the reaction surprised even the person experiencing it. It is equally at home in casual conversation, personal storytelling, and narrative fiction.

Examples

How to use it

burst out + gerund

The gerund (laughing, crying, sobbing, etc.) is always required — the phrase is incomplete without it.

The moment the teacher turned her back, the whole class burst out laughing.

subject + burst out + gerund + at + trigger

Use 'at' to introduce the thing that caused the sudden reaction.

She burst out laughing at the look on his face.

subject + burst out + gerund + in the middle of + noun phrase

This pattern highlights how unexpected or poorly timed the outburst was.

He burst out crying in the middle of his presentation, and had to take a moment to collect himself.

almost / nearly + burst out + gerund

Use 'almost' or 'nearly' to describe a reaction that was barely suppressed.

I nearly burst out giggling when my phone went off during the ceremony.

trying not to / couldn't help + burst out + gerund

These constructions emphasise the involuntary, difficult-to-control nature of the reaction.

She was trying not to burst out laughing, but the joke was too good.

Common Collocations

burst out laughingburst out cryingburst out sobbingburst out gigglingburst out screamingburst out singing

Common Mistakes

Infinitive instead of gerund

After 'burst out', you must use a gerund (the -ing form), not an infinitive with 'to'. This is the most common error learners make with this phrasal verb.

✗ She burst out to laugh when she heard the story.
✓ She burst out laughing when she heard the story.
Confusing 'burst out' with 'burst into'

'Burst out' is followed by a gerund (burst out laughing), while 'burst into' is followed by a noun (burst into laughter/tears). Both mean the same thing, so you just need to match the correct form to the correct phrase.

✗ He burst out tears when he heard the news.
✓ He burst out crying when he heard the news. / He burst into tears when he heard the news.
Using 'burst out' without a gerund

Unlike many phrasal verbs, 'burst out' cannot stand alone — it always needs a gerund to complete the meaning. Without one, the sentence feels unfinished.

✗ Everyone burst out when the winner was announced.
✓ Everyone burst out cheering when the winner was announced.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral in register and works in both spoken and written English. It is nearly always followed by 'laughing' or 'crying' in everyday use; other gerunds are less frequent.

2 burst out

say something suddenly and loudly

B2

Sense 2: What does "burst out" mean?

To burst out means to say something suddenly and loudly, usually because a strong emotion — frustration, indignation, surprise, or protest — has become impossible to hold back. The key idea is involuntary speech: the person does not plan to speak, but the words escape them in the heat of the moment. This phrasal verb is especially common in fiction and storytelling, where it typically introduces or follows direct speech to capture emotional outbursts. Unlike simply raising your voice, bursting out implies a loss of composure — the speaker is overwhelmed by feeling. It works equally well in British and American English and sits in a neutral to informal register.

Examples

How to use it

subject + burst out + direct speech

The most common pattern, where the spoken words appear as a direct quotation either before or after the verb.

'That's completely wrong!' she burst out, her voice shaking with anger.

direct speech + subject + burst out (post-position tag)

In narrative writing, the quoted words often come first and 'burst out' follows as a speech tag — a very characteristic stylistic feature of this phrasal verb in fiction.

'Nobody told me anything!' Marcus burst out, pushing back his chair.

subject + burst out + that-clause

When reporting speech indirectly, 'that' introduces the content of what was said.

He burst out that he had been waiting for over an hour and was not going to wait any longer.

subject + burst out + in + noun phrase

Used to describe the type of outburst — frustration, protest, indignation — rather than quoting the exact words.

She burst out in protest when she heard her name had been left off the list.

Common Collocations

burst out angrilyburst out suddenly'That's not fair!' she burst outburst out in protestburst out in frustrationburst out with an accusation

Common Mistakes

Confusing the two senses of 'burst out'

When 'burst out' is followed by a gerund like 'laughing' or 'crying', it means to suddenly start doing something — not to say something. Only use this entry's sense when the verb introduces spoken words as direct speech or a that-clause.

✗ She burst out laughing that it was unfair.
✓ She burst out that it was unfair. / She burst out laughing.
Treating 'burst out' as transitive like 'blurt out'

'Burst out' in this sense is intransitive and cannot take a direct noun object. If you want to say someone revealed a secret impulsively, use 'blurt out', which is transitive.

✗ He burst out the whole story before anyone could stop him.
✓ He blurted out the whole story before anyone could stop him. / 'I know what happened!' he burst out.
Using it in the present continuous or future simple

This phrasal verb sounds unnatural in the present continuous or future simple because it describes a spontaneous, unplanned moment — not an ongoing action or a planned future event.

✗ She is bursting out that she disagrees. / He will burst out that it's unfair.
✓ She burst out that she disagreed. / He burst out that it was unfair.

Usage

This phrasal verb is most common in written fiction and storytelling as a speech tag, often placed after the direct speech. It is neutral in register and works in both British and American English.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'burst out' be used in the passive, like 'laughter was burst out'?

No — 'burst out' is intransitive, which means it has no object and cannot be made passive. The subject is always the person (or group) doing the bursting out, not someone or something receiving the action.

Does 'burst out' always mean laughing or crying?

Not exclusively, though those are by far the most common uses. You can also say 'burst out sobbing', 'burst out giggling', 'burst out cheering', or even 'burst out singing'. What all these have in common is a sudden, uncontrollable emotional or expressive reaction.

Can I use 'burst out' to describe a group of people, not just one person?

Yes, absolutely. It works naturally with collective subjects — for example, 'the whole audience burst out laughing' or 'everyone burst out cheering'. The sense of a sudden, shared reaction fits perfectly.

Is there a difference in meaning between 'burst out laughing' and 'burst into laughter'?

No, the meaning is the same — both describe a sudden, uncontrollable fit of laughter. The only difference is grammatical: 'burst out' is followed by a gerund (-ing form), while 'burst into' is followed by a noun. Choose whichever sounds more natural in context.

Can I use 'burst out' to describe something that happened gradually, or only sudden reactions?

'Burst out' always implies something sudden and involuntary — it would sound odd describing a slow or deliberate reaction. If the laughing or crying built up gradually, a phrase like 'started crying' or 'began laughing' would be more natural.

Can I use 'burst out' in the passive voice?

No — 'burst out' in this sense is intransitive, which means it has no object and cannot be made passive. There is no grammatical way to form a passive sentence with it.

Does 'burst out' always mean saying something? I've seen it used differently.

Yes, 'burst out' has more than one sense. When followed by direct speech or a that-clause, it means to say something suddenly and loudly. When followed by a gerund like 'laughing' or 'crying', it means to suddenly start doing that action. The word that follows 'out' tells you which sense is being used.

Is it natural to put the quoted words before 'burst out' instead of after?

Yes — in fact, placing the direct speech first and 'burst out' afterwards is a very characteristic pattern, especially in fiction: for example, ''I've had enough!' she burst out.' This word order highlights the emotional force of the words before explaining how they were delivered.

What kinds of emotions typically lead someone to 'burst out'?

This verb is strongly associated with emotions that are difficult to contain — frustration, indignation, surprise, anger, or protest. The implication is always that the speaker could not hold the words back. It would sound odd with calm or neutral emotions.

Is 'burst out' more common in writing or in speech?

In this sense, it appears most often in written narrative — novels, short stories, and reported speech — where it functions as a vivid speech tag. It is less common in everyday conversation, though you might hear it in informal storytelling when someone is describing an emotional moment.

Related Phrasal Verbs

blurt sth out

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