Meaning & use
erupt
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To burst out suddenly and often violently, especially describing a volcano releasing lava and ash.
Grammar: No object; often used with 'into' or 'from': The volcano erupted into a cloud of ash.
Patterns
- erupt into something
- erupt from something
The volcano erupted without warning, sending ash high into the sky.
Lava erupted from the crater and flowed down the mountainside.
The geyser erupts every hour, shooting hot water into the air.
verbintransitive
To start suddenly and violently, as of violence, fighting, or a serious problem.
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'in' or 'into': The crowd erupted in anger.
Patterns
- erupt in something
- erupt into something
Violence erupted in the city after the controversial decision.
A scandal erupted when the documents were leaked to the press.
The meeting erupted into a shouting match.
verbintransitive
To express a strong emotion suddenly and loudly, especially anger or laughter.
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'in' or 'into': She erupted in laughter.
Patterns
- erupt in something
- erupt into something
He erupted in anger when he heard the news.
The audience erupted into applause at the end of the performance.
She erupted with joy when she saw the surprise.
verbintransitivemedical
To appear suddenly on the skin, as a rash or pimples.
Grammar: No object; often used with 'on' or 'over': A rash erupted on his arms.
Patterns
- erupt on something
- erupt over something
A red rash erupted on her chest after she took the medication.
Pimples erupted all over his forehead before the big event.
verbintransitivemedical
To break out through the gums, as a tooth.
Grammar: No object; often used with 'through': The tooth erupted through the gum.
Patterns
- erupt through something
The baby's first tooth erupted at six months.
Wisdom teeth often erupt in the late teens or early twenties.
Word forms
| third person singular | erupts |
|---|---|
| past tense | erupted |
| past participle | erupted |
| -ing form | erupting |
Common combinations
- erupt into
- The party erupted into chaos when the music stopped.
- erupt in
- She erupted in tears when she heard the sad news.
- erupt from
- Smoke erupted from the top of the mountain.
- erupt with
- The crowd erupted with excitement when the goal was scored.
- volcano erupts
- The volcano erupts every few decades.
Synonyms and how they differ
- explode
- Explode is more general and often implies a loud bang and destruction; erupt is used for volcanoes, rashes, or sudden outbursts of emotion.
- burst
- Burst suggests a sudden breaking open from internal pressure; erupt often suggests a more forceful, continuous release, as of lava or anger.
- break out
- Break out is common for wars, diseases, or fires; erupt is more dramatic and often used for volcanoes and emotional explosions.
Word family
Commonly confused: erupt or irrupt?
erupt vs irrupt
Irrupt means to enter suddenly and forcefully, often used for animals migrating into an area; erupt means to burst out.
Practice
The volcano ______ and sent ash into the sky.
Choose one answer.
The sentence describes a completed action in the past, so the past tense 'erupted' is correct. 'Erupting' would need a helping verb like 'was', and 'erupts' is present tense, which doesn't fit the past context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “erupt”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.