# bubble over

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bubble-over
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to be so full of a feeling, like excitement or joy, that you cannot hide it. You use this when someone is very enthusiastic.

For teachers: to manifest an intense emotion, typically positive, in an overt or irrepressible manner. It functions as an intransitive verb, though it is frequently followed by a prepositional phrase starting with 'with'.

## Examples

- She is bubbling over with excitement about her new job.
- When the team won the championship, the fans were bubbling over with joy and started dancing in the streets.
- The young artist was bubbling over with creative energy, filling dozens of sketchbooks with vibrant designs in a single week.

## Pitfalls

- Not "She was bubbling over of joy." but "She was bubbling over with joy." — the preposition 'with' is required to connect the verb to the emotion; learners often use 'of' by analogy with 'full of'.

## Usage notes

- usually followed by 'with' and a noun representing a positive emotion.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'bursting with' or 'overflowing with'; 'bubble over' implies a more active, visible energy like a boiling pot.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.