spout

spout — verb

1. to keep talking for so long that other people become bored or annoyed

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveC1
Definition

to keep talking for so long that other people become bored or annoyed

Example

Nora spouted her opinions about the new policy during the whole lunch break.

spout + opinions + about + noun phrase

The old professor kept spouting facts about ancient Rome until the students fell asleep.

spout + facts + about + topic

Common collocations
  • spout nonsense
  • spout opinions
  • spout facts
  • spout about politics
  • spout about the economy
Synonyms
  • ramble

    suggests the speaker jumps between topics without a clear direction; less aggressive than spout

  • lecture

    can describe a formal talk (neutral) or a preachy, one-sided speech (negative); more structured than spout

  • declaim

    very formal; describes dramatic or emotional public speaking

  • hold forth

    phrasal verb meaning to speak at length, often in a self-important way

Antonyms
  • listen

    opposite action — receiving speech rather than producing it

  • summarise

    implies saying something briefly rather than at length

Grammar Patterns

spout + about + topic

spout + noun phrase

Usage Note

Always carries a negative tone — do not use this verb to describe enjoyable or interesting speech. Intransitive use is often followed by about; transitive use takes a direct object such as nonsense, opinions, or facts.

Common Mistakes

My friend spouted interesting stories all night.
My friend told interesting stories all night.
spout implies boring or irritating speech, so pairing it with 'interesting' creates a tone contradiction.

2. to push out a liquid or flame in a fast, forceful stream through a narrow openin

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to push out a liquid or flame in a fast, forceful stream through a narrow opening, or to come out this way

Example

A broken pipe spouted dirty water onto the pavement for hours before anyone noticed.

spout + liquid + onto + surface (transitive)

The whale surfaced and spouted a tall stream of seawater into the morning air.

spout + stream of + liquid (transitive)

Common collocations
  • spout water
  • spout oil
  • spout flames
  • spout blood
  • spout from a pipe
  • spout from a crack
Synonyms
  • gush

    implies a large, enthusiastic flow; often used for both liquids and emotions

  • spurt

    suggests a sudden, brief burst rather than a continuous stream

  • shoot

    focuses on the speed and straight trajectory of the stream

Antonyms
  • dribble

    slow, weak flow — opposite of forceful streaming

  • trickle

    small, gentle flow — opposite of forceful ejection

Grammar Patterns

spout + noun phrase

spout from + noun phrase

Usage Note

Used transitively (something spouts liquid) or intransitively (liquid spouts from somewhere). The intransitive pattern is often followed by from or out of. Do not use for general water flow from a tap — spout implies noticeable force.

Common Mistakes

Water spouted from the kitchen tap when I turned it on.
Water came out of the kitchen tap when I turned it on.
spout describes a forceful, pressurised stream, not the gentle flow of a household faucet.

spout — noun

Word family

  • spouted
    adjectiveC1
  • spouting
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Spout, ramble, lecture, declaim, and hold forth all describe someone producing a lot of speech, but each carries a different tone. Spout is always negative — it suggests the speaker is boring, annoying, or talking without care for their audience (He spouted nonsense at the dinner table until everyone left). Ramble means the speaker drifts between topics without a clear direction, often in a confused or disorganised way (She rambled on about her day for an hour). Lecture can be neutral (a classroom lecture), but in everyday criticism it describes a preachy, one-sided speech (Dad lectured me about my grades for twenty minutes). Declaim is very formal and describes dramatic or emotional speaking as if to an audience (The politician declaimed against corruption from the stage). Hold forth is a phrasal verb that means speaking at length with confidence, often in a way that suggests the speaker thinks they are important (Uncle Darius held forth about his investment strategies all evening). When choosing, consider whether the speaker sounds confused (ramble), preachy (lecture), dramatic (declaim), self-important (hold forth), or simply irritatingly long-winded (spout).

spout ↗ramblelecture ↗declaimhold forth ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Middle DutchMiddle Low GermanMiddle EnglishEnglish

Spout comes from Middle English spouten, which probably came from Middle Dutch spoiten or Middle Low German spūten, both meaning 'to gush or spout'. These Germanic roots are related to Old English spīwan ('to spit' or 'spew'). The original meaning was about liquids shooting out under pressure. Around the 1600s, a figurative sense developed describing people who 'pour out' words at length, as if speech were a liquid being forced through a pipe.