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Synonyms

flashing

American  
[flash-ing] / ˈflæʃ ɪŋ /

noun

  1. Building Trades. pieces of sheet metal or the like used to cover and protect certain joints and angles, as where a roof comes in contact with a wall or chimney, especially against leakage.

  2. the act of creating an artificial flood in a conduit or stream, as in a sewer for cleansing it.

  3. Photography, Movies. the process of increasing film speed by exposing undeveloped film briefly to a weak light source before using it or of exposing photographic printing paper to reduce contrast.

flashing British  
/ ˈflæʃɪŋ /

noun

  1. a weatherproof material, esp thin sheet metal, used to cover the valleys between the slopes of a roof, the junction between a chimney and a roof, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • interflashing noun
  • unflashing adjective

Etymology

Origin of flashing

First recorded in 1775–85; flash + -ing 1

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.

It’s fueling the A.I. bubble, it’s coming to your retirement portfolio—and it’s flashing a lot of warning signs right now.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

The 30-year bond yield “is the market’s long-term confidence gauge and, right now, it’s flashing caution,” said portfolio manager Vincent Ahn at Wisdom Fixed Income Management in Plano, Texas.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026

AFP pictures showed the heavily damaged nose and cockpit section of the Air Canada Express plane, which had arrived from Montreal, on the tarmac flanked by emergency vehicles with their lights flashing.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

"Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits. Every key climate indicator is flashing red," he warned, in a typically punchy video address.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

“Clara loves wild. I think that’s why she hired me,” he said, flashing a grin.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

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.