outbreak Meaning & Definition
What Does Outbreak Mean?
Outbreak is a noun that means An eruption; the sudden appearance of a rash, disease, etc. It is also used to mean A sudden increase. As a verb, it means To burst out or break forth. As a verb, it means To burst out.
Quick Facts About Outbreak
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //ˈaʊtbɹeɪk// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | outburst and tumult |
| Antonyms | inbreak |
| Plural | outbreaks |
| Verb forms | outbreaks, outbreaking, outbroke, outbroken |
Outbreak Definition (Noun)
- An eruption; the sudden appearance of a rash, disease, etc.
Any epidemic outbreak causes understandable panic.
- A sudden increase.
There has been an outbreak of vandalism at the school.
- An outburst or sudden eruption, especially of violence and mischief.
There has been an outbreak of broken windows in the street.
- Synonym of breakout (“escape from prison”).
Outbreak as a Verb
- To burst out or break forth.
Noun
- A geological layer that breaks out.
Verb
- To burst out.
- To break forth.
Synonyms of Outbreak
Outbreak synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Outbreak
Outbreak in a Sentence
Any epidemic outbreak causes understandable panic.
There has been an outbreak of vandalism at the school.
There has been an outbreak of broken windows in the street.
Word Forms & Grammar
outbreak (plural outbreaks)
outbreak (third-person singular simple present outbreaks, present participle outbreaking, simple past outbroke, past participle outbroken)
Words That Rhyme With Outbreak
Origin of Outbreak
Origin 1: From Middle English outbreken, oute-breken, from Old English ūtābrecan (“to break out”), equivalent to out- + break. Cognate with Saterland Frisian uutbreeke (“to break out, burst out”), West Frisian útbrekke (“to break out”), Dutch uitbreken (“to break out, burst out”), German ausbrechen (“to break out, erupt”).
Origin 2: The noun is cognate with Saterland Frisian Uutbreek (“outbreak”), West Frisian útbrek (“outbreak”), Dutch uitbraak (“outbreak”), and German Ausbruch (“outbreak”), and is comparable to Danish udbrud (“outbreak”), Faroese and Icelandic útbrot (“rash”), Norwegian utbrudd (“outbreak”), and Swedish utbrott (“outbreak”).
Outbreak Pronunciation
The standard pronunciation of outbreak is //ˈaʊtbɹeɪk//, spoken in 1 syllable.
Outbreak: Your Questions Answered
Is outbreak a noun or a verb?
Outbreak is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for outbreak?
You can replace outbreak with words such as outburst and tumult. See the full list of outbreak synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of outbreak?
The opposite of outbreak is inbreak.
What is the plural of outbreak?
The plural of outbreak is outbreaks.
What is the past tense of outbreak?
The past tense of outbreak is outbroke and the past participle is outbroken. The present participle is outbreaking.