Burst in or into laughter?
Which of the following phrases is correct grammatically?
- burst in laughter
- burst into laughter
Or are they both correct (this is my guess)?
I'd think that to "burst in laughter" could translate to something like "burst in a state of laughter." Is this correct?
Solution 1:
I've never heard or read "burst in laughter" in 65+ years of reading and speaking, so "I'd have to say that "burst into laughter" is the correct idiom. "Burst in a state of laughter" doesn't mean the same thing as "burst into laughter". The latter phrase means that someone suddenly started laughing rather loudly (bombs burst and make big noises), while "Burst in a state of laughter" means that someone or something (a robot?) broke (burst or exploded like a balloon) while laughing. Idioms often cannot be understood simply by looking at the words they contain.
Solution 2:
To express sudden utterance or expression usual collocation is burst into
He burst into tears.
In some situations in might be possible to imply sudden movement or action. Compare:
He burst in without knocking.
he burst into the room.