Past Tense of Burst
For “burst,” Cambridge gives the zero-change pattern burst → burst → burst. Merriam-Webster additionally records bursted. Lead with the form directly shared by the reviewed authorities while recognizing “bursted” as documented rather than universally wrong.
Cambridge records “burst” as both the simple past and past participle. Merriam-Webster also records “bursted.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| simple past documented by Cambridge | burst | Use “burst.” |
| past participle documented by Cambridge | burst | Use “burst.” |
| additional inflection recorded by Merriam-Webster | bursted | Recognize it as documented without inventing a stronger ranking. |
| present participle | bursting | Use “bursting.” |
Quick tests
Verb-form test
Do you need a past form of “burst” and want the zero-change form documented by Cambridge?
If yes: Use “burst.”
If no: If you encounter “bursted,” recognize it as a Merriam-Webster-recorded alternative; otherwise use the appropriate present form.
Caveat: The reviewed evidence supports zero-change “burst” and also records “bursted”; it does not support an invented universal preference hierarchy.
Examples
A pipe burst during the night.
“Burst” is the Cambridge-documented simple past.
The balloon had burst before we arrived.
“Burst” is the Cambridge-documented past participle.
A historical quotation used the form “bursted.”
“Bursted” is recorded by Merriam-Webster; this guide does not label it universally wrong.
Further guidance
Core difference
Use “burst” when you want the zero-change form documented by Cambridge and Merriam-Webster; recognize “bursted” as an additional Merriam-Webster-recorded inflection.
Fast Test
Do not invent frequency, register, or dialect claims for “bursted” that the reviewed evidence does not establish, and do not call a documented form universally wrong.
Usage Boundary
This guide covers verb inflection. Noun “burst” and fixed expressions are separate reader tasks.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- BURST Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster (opens in a new tab)Merriam-Webster · Merriam-Webster records burst and also bursted as verb inflections.
- burst — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Cambridge dictionary entry directly documenting burst/bursting with a strong emotion or wish.