Meaning

4 senses
  1. An eruption; the sudden appearance of a rash, disease, etc.

    Any epidemic outbreak causes understandable panic.

    Ausbruch, Auftreten, Entfesselung

    вспы́шкаvspýška, взрывvzryv

  2. A sudden increase.

    There has been an outbreak of vandalism at the school.

    sprunghafter Anstieg, plötzliche Zunahme, Massenvermehrung (biol.)

  3. (figuratively)An outburst or sudden eruption, especially of violence and mischief.

    There has been an outbreak of broken windows in the street.

    Ausbruch, plötzliches Auftreten, Lawine

  4. Synonym of breakout (“escape from prison”).

More definitions
  • a sudden violent spontaneous occurrence (usually of some undesirable condition)

Examples

88 sentences
  1. She stayed inside during herpes outbreaks.

    deSie blieb während der Herpesausbrüche drinnen.

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  2. There's a measles outbreak in Europe.

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  3. The public took the outbreak seriously.

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  4. There will be outbreaks of rain overnight.

    deÜber Nacht kommt es vereinzelt zu Regen.

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  5. The city was devastated by the outbreak.

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Translations

7 languages
Русский
By meaning 1
an eruption, sudden appearance:
Deutsch
By meaning 3
an eruption, sudden appearance:
a sudden increase:
(fig.) an outburst or sudden eruption, especially violent:

Origin

From Middle English outbreken, oute-breken, from Old English ūtābrecan (“to break out”), e

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”).

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Forms

plural: outbreaks
Singularoutbreak
Pluraloutbreaks

regular

Synonyms

5 synonyms
figurative outburst:outbursttumult
Close in meaning
  • a sudden violent spontaneous occurrence (usually of some undesirable condition):eruptionirruption

Antonyms

1 antonyms

Word family

5 related words

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
outbreak — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto