Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

burst someone's bubble

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.73 in modern English

Syllables: burst -some-one's bub-ble
IPA

29

Scrabble Score

19

Letters

4

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To disillusion; to disabuse someone of a false notion or rationalization that has grown comfortable.

Informal

Example Sentences

"I hate to burst his bubble, but he is going to be disappointed if he tries that idea."
"I remember vividly the time I overheard one gay woman ask her lover (a prominent lesbian activist) if they could go to the movies. The absolute "NO" answer burst the bubble that said that only heteros play these role games."
"Second, the romance option brings up a unique issue: having sex with an alien. It’s somewhat difficult to say what the Christian should think on this issue because, well, the Bible doesn’t talk about aliens. Probably because they don’t exist (sorry to burst your bubble). Would this be considered bestiality? Or is it not bestiality since they are also beings capable of rational and ethical thought and self-reflection unlike usual animals?"

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

bursts someone's bubble (present, singular) bursting someone's bubble (participle, present)

Phrases

make waves party pooper rock the boat stick in the mud wet blanket

Frequently Paired Words

killjoy make waves party pooper rock the boat spoilsport stick in the mud wet blanket

Synonyms

bust someone's bubble pop someone's balloon burst someone's bubble piss in someone's cereal piss in someone's Cheerios piss in someone's cornflakes piss on someone's chips piss on someone's bonfire piss on someone's campfire put a damper on rain on someone's parade shit in someone's cereal

Questions

What does burst someone's bubble mean?: To disillusion; to disabuse someone of a false notion or rationalization that has grown comfortable.

How to pronounce burst someone's bubble

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “burst someone's bubble”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “burst someone's bubble”.
Repeat and practice — Say “burst someone's bubble” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.