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burst up

C1 informal intransitive

In simple words

To suddenly start laughing a lot, or to break into pieces.

Literal meaning: To burst (explode) upward or apart.

Meanings

1 C1 idiomatic informal

rare

(British informal) To suddenly break into uncontrollable laughter.

"The comedian's unexpected punchline made the whole audience burst up."

2 C1 neutral

rare

To break apart suddenly under pressure.

"The old water main burst up under the street after the freeze, flooding the road."

Usage notes

Primarily British English slang for uncontrollable laughter. The sense of physically breaking apart is rarer and often replaced by 'burst apart' or 'explode'. Not widely used outside British informal contexts.

Commonly used with

laughter giggling audience crowd pipe boiler

Forms

Base

burst up

I/you/we/they

3rd person

bursts up

he/she/it

Past simple

bursted up

yesterday

Past participle

bursted up

have + pp

-ing form

bursting up

continuous

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Synonyms

crack up burst out laughing dissolve into laughter explode break apart

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