slather
Americanverb (used with object)
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to spread or apply thickly.
to slather butter on toast.
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to spread something thickly on (usually followed bywith ).
to slather toast with butter.
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to spend or use lavishly.
noun
idioms
noun
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informal (usually plural) a large quantity
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slang a situation in which there are no restrictions; free-for-all
verb
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to squander or waste
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to spread thickly or lavishly
Etymology
Origin of slather
1810–20, in sense “to slip, slide”; origin uncertain
Explanation
When you slather something, you apply or spread a lot of it. So you might slather your hamburger with ketchup, or slather shampoo on your damp head. Before it came to mean "spread liberally" in the nineteenth century, people in parts of England used slather to mean "slip or slide." Today we use this informal verb to describe smearing or rubbing, so we slather paint on a fence to cover up graffiti, slather aloe on our sunburnt skin, and slather peanut butter and jelly on bread.
Vocabulary lists containing slather
Mississippi Trial, 1955
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Piecing Me Together
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I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
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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.
When the chicken is done, slather it in Sanders BBQ Supply Co Sticky Icky Peach Wing Sauce and let it caramelize for a few minutes over the heat.
From Salon • Apr. 18, 2025
Avocados have become a staple in the diet of many Americans who slather the creamy fruit on toast and smash it up into guacamole.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2024
People here slather it on hot dogs, plop it on pulled pork or simply reach for a heaping spoonful.
From New York Times • May 18, 2024
"Not even a hefty slather of make-up can hide the shocking state of Amy Winehouse's skin," reads one.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2024
I slather on what I can and call it a day.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
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.
