Sudden, explosive expressions of emotion like anger, laughter, or excitement that happen suddenly without warning.
A compound word from 'out' (Old English 'ūt') and 'burst' (from Old Norse 'bresta'), literally meaning to 'break out suddenly,' the word emerged in the 1600s.
Psychologists have discovered that outbursts of laughter are contagious at a deeper level than just hearing the sound—hearing genuine laughter activates the mirror neurons in your brain, making you physically want to laugh too.
Outbursts were historically pathologized as female emotional incontinence, particularly through 19th-century medical literature linking them to menstruation and 'hysteria.' Men displaying outbursts were framed as passionate or powerful; women as hysterical or uncontrolled.
Use neutrally across all genders. Avoid stereotyping emotional expression by gender; acknowledge that all people experience and express strong emotions.
["expressions of emotion","passionate response","vocal reaction"]
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