splash
Americanverb (used with object)
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splashes,
present (3rd person singular)
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splashed,
past participle, past
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splashing
present participle
-
to wet or soil by dashing masses or particles of water, mud, or the like; spatter.
Don't splash her dress!
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to fall upon (something) in scattered masses or particles, as a liquid does.
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to cause to appear spattered.
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to dash (water, mud, etc.) about in scattered masses or particles.
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to make (one's way) with splashing.
He splashed his way across the pool.
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Logging. to move (logs) by releasing a body of water from a splash dam.
verb (used without object)
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splashes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
splashed,
past participle, past
-
splashing
present participle
-
to dash a liquid or semiliquid substance about.
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to fall, move, or strike with a splash or splashes.
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(of liquid) to dash with force in scattered masses or particles.
noun
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splashes
plural
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the act of splashing.
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the sound of splashing.
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a quantity of some liquid or semiliquid substance splashed upon or in a thing.
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a spot caused by something splashed.
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a patch, as of color or light.
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Logging.
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the act of splashing logs.
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water released, as from a splash dam for splashing logs.
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-
a striking show or impression.
- Synonyms:
- sensation, uproar, impression, ado
verb phrase
verb
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to scatter (liquid) about in blobs; spatter
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to descend or cause to descend upon in blobs
he splashed his jacket
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to make (one's way) by or as if by splashing
he splashed through the puddle
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(tr) to print (a story or photograph) prominently in a newspaper
noun
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an instance or sound of splashing
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an amount splashed
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a patch created by or as if by splashing
a splash of colour
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informal an extravagant display, usually for effect (esp in the phrase make a splash )
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a small amount of soda water, water, etc, added to an alcoholic drink
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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splashsimple
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splashessimple
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have splashedperfect
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has splashedperfect
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am splashingprogressive
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are splashingprogressive
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is splashingprogressive
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have been splashingperfect progressive
-
has been splashingperfect progressive
Past
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splashedsimple
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had splashedperfect
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was splashingprogressive
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were splashingprogressive
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had been splashingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of splash
First recorded in 1705–15; perhaps alteration of plash 1
Explanation
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.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
According to the model, a fast-moving jet of quarks should disturb the surrounding plasma and leave a wake behind, causing the material to ripple and splash.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
Nvidia has made another big splash, with its board of directors authorizing another $150 billion in stock buybacks.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
In summer, mine is a pan of roasted red onion, red pepper, squash and eggplant, marinated while warm in olive oil, herbs and a splash of red wine vinegar.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
Film makers no longer need large production companies, big crews or A-list stars to make a splash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
I feel it like a splash of cold water, that old sense of doom and dread, the fear that made me desperate enough to snatch baby Virginia away.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
One of my brothers splashes vinegary house hot sauce into the spicy.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
The observations provide the first direct evidence that quark-gluon plasma responds to fast-moving particles as a unified fluid, producing waves, splashes, and swirling motion instead of simply behaving as a collection of independently scattering particles.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
"Now we see the plasma is incredibly dense, such that it is able to slow down a quark, and produces splashes and swirls like a liquid. So quark-gluon plasma really is a primordial soup."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
The Daily Star splashes on Oasis's Liam Gallagher saying he'll sing Manchester City's Blue Moon during his 2027 tour as "the club appeals in the FA 'sham' contracts decision".
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Soon Arwin’s jumping into the shallow bank as hard as he can, making huge splashes.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
The crew safely splashed down on April 10 after becoming the first humans in more than 50 years to travel to lunar orbit.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
Waves also splashed over sections of Pacific Coast Highway near Point Mugu, and in Seal Beach, coastline parking lots flooded.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
"Europe faces winter with lowest ever gas reserves" is the dire warning splashed on the Financial Times' front page due to "Gulf-led shortages".
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
The clouds decided to cluster above and surprise me midtrip, releasing the rain down hard as I finished the journey, weaving as strategically as possible to avoid getting splashed by the cars next to me.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
We splashed through shallow puddles, startling flies from their perches atop piles of rotten food.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
I probably wouldn’t start splashing vinegar into a delicate seafood bisque.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
The Dream led by as much as 42 points, with Angel Reese splashing 18 first-half points.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
The hyperscalers splashing out billions on data centers have been big beneficiaries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
But instead of splashing the extra cash, or saving up for holidays or a house deposit, he's decided to squirrel more of it away into his workplace pension.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Hari played about in the water, even splashing me.
From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
