German word

ausbrechen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈaʊ̯sˌbʁɛçn̩/

Meaning

  • verbburst out laughing

Example

Sie bricht in Gelächter aus.

She bursts out laughing.

Illustration for ausbrechen (burst out laughing)

More examples

Er brach vor Lachen aus und konnte kaum sprechen.

He burst out laughing and could hardly speak.

Core concept

A pressure-filled boundary gives way and something bursts into the open, whether a person escapes or laughter erupts.

Common phrases

  • in Gelächter ausbrechen

    burst into laughter

  • vor Lachen ausbrechen

    burst out laughing

Similar words

lachen: The ordinary act of laughing audibly.
loslachen: A sudden eruption of audible laughter.
kichern: A soft, brief laugh made in a light or secretive way.
prusten: A laugh that bursts out with a snorting or breathy sound.

Definition in German

plötzlich und heftig zu lachen beginnen

Word origin

The separable verb combines German aus, meaning outward, with brechen, meaning break, and extends the idea of breaking out to sudden laughter.

Usage tips

  • In a finite main clause, aus separates from the verb, as in Sie bricht in Gelächter aus.

Other meanings

  • escapeverb
  • break outverb
  • eruptverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Ausbruchoutbreaknoun
  • Ausbrecherescapeenoun

Word lists with this word