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splash

/splæʃ/
/splæʃ/
IPA guide

Other forms: splashed; splashing; splashes

A splash is a tiny amount of a liquid. You might, for example, prefer your coffee with just a splash of cream.

A splash can be wet, like a splash of lemonade in your tea, or it can be bright, like a splash of yellow across the oil painting you're working on. You can also use splash as a verb, as when you splash your sunbathing brother with swimming pool water. Splash first appeared in the early 1800's as a variation on the word plash, which had the same meanings and is most likely imitative — in other words, it sounds like its meaning.

Definitions of splash
  1. verb
    cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force
    “She splashed the water around her”
    synonyms: splosh, sprinkle
    see moresee less
    types:
    salt
    sprinkle as if with salt
    drizzle, moisten
    moisten with fine drops
    type of:
    disperse, dot, dust, scatter, sprinkle
    distribute loosely
  2. verb
    dash a liquid upon or against
    “The mother splashed the baby's face with water”
    see moresee less
    types:
    puddle
    make a puddle by splashing water
    slosh, slosh around, slush, slush around
    spill or splash copiously or clumsily
    type of:
    disperse, dot, dust, scatter, sprinkle
    distribute loosely
  3. verb
    strike and dash about in a liquid
    “The boys splashed around in the pool”
    see moresee less
    types:
    swatter
    splash and flutter about in or as if in water
  4. verb
    make a splashing sound
    “water was splashing on the floor”
    synonyms: slosh, slush, splosh
    see moresee less
    type of:
    go, sound
    make a certain noise or sound
  5. verb
    mark or overlay with patches of contrasting color or texture; cause to appear splashed or spattered
    “The mountain was splashed with snow”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    cover, overlay
    put something on top of something else
  6. verb
    soil or stain with a splashed liquid
    see moresee less
    type of:
    begrime, bemire, colly, dirty, grime, soil
    make soiled, filthy, or dirty
  7. noun
    the act of splashing a (liquid) substance on a surface
    see moresee less
    type of:
    painting
    the act of applying paint to a surface
  8. noun
    the act of scattering water about haphazardly
    synonyms: splashing
    see moresee less
    type of:
    wetting
    the act of making something wet
  9. noun
    the sound like water splashing
    synonyms: plash
    see moresee less
    types:
    splat
    a single splash
    type of:
    noise
    sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
  10. verb
    walk through mud or mire
    synonyms: slop, slosh, splosh, squelch, squish
    see moresee less
    type of:
    footslog, pad, plod, slog, tramp, trudge
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
  11. noun
    a prominent or sensational but short-lived news event
    “he made a great splash and then disappeared”
    synonyms: stir
  12. noun
    a small quantity of something moist or liquid
    synonyms: dab, splatter
    see moresee less
    type of:
    small indefinite amount, small indefinite quantity
    an indefinite quantity that is below average size or magnitude
  13. noun
    a patch of bright color
    “her red hat gave her outfit a splash of color”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    dapple, fleck, maculation, patch, speckle, spot
    a small contrasting part of something
Pronunciation
US
/splæʃ/
UK
/splæʃ/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘splash'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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