Meaning & use
microburst
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Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
A sudden, strong downward rush of air from a thunderstorm that spreads out when it hits the ground.
Grammar: Countable: a microburst, several microbursts. Often used in weather reports and aviation contexts.
Patterns
- a microburst hits something
- a microburst causes something
- be caused by a microburst
The plane crashed shortly after takeoff because of a microburst.
A microburst can produce winds as strong as a tornado.
The weather service issued a warning about possible microbursts in the area.
Word forms
| plural | microbursts |
|---|
Common combinations
- microburst wind
- Microburst winds can exceed 100 miles per hour.
- microburst hazard
- Pilots are trained to recognize the microburst hazard.
- microburst alert
- The control tower issued a microburst alert for the runway.
- microburst activity
- The storm system showed intense microburst activity.
Synonyms and how they differ
- downburst
- A broader term for any strong downdraft; a microburst is a small, intense downburst.
- wind shear
- A general term for a sudden change in wind speed or direction; a microburst is one cause of wind shear.
Word family
- burst verb
- To break open suddenly, or to move suddenly with force.
- downburst noun
- A strong downward current of air from a thunderstorm.
Commonly confused: microburst or tornado?
microburst vs tornado
A tornado is a rotating column of air; a microburst is a straight-line downdraft. They can cause similar damage but are different phenomena.
Practice
What is a microburst?
Choose one answer.
A microburst is a downdraft of air from a thunderstorm. Option A confuses it with a literal burst or explosion, C is a different weather term, and D describes rain, not wind.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “microburst”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.