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
A small splash of vinegar at the end of cooking can give a tired pot an almost startling jolt.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
The vehicle is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean to the west of Chile, SpaceX said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Nvidia has made another big splash, with its board of directors authorizing another $150 billion in stock buybacks.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Water pours out onto the lawn, and the girls shriek and splash each other.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
One of my brothers splashes vinegary house hot sauce into the spicy.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 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 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
Finally, the Daily Star's splashes on a picture of Jeremy Clarkson's lawn, which the paper says has remained lush and green because of a borehole water trick as millions struggle with a wider hosepipe ban.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water and wiggled his fingers so the water arose in little splashes; rings widened across the pool to the other side and came back again.
From "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has splashed out $9.6 million in cash on a sprawling Hamptons estate—nearly one year after the New York City mayoral primary that marked his return to electoral politics.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
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
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
Other than a tingling over his skin that felt like he’d been splashed with ice water, he made it through the fog in one piece.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
I probably wouldn’t start splashing vinegar into a delicate seafood bisque.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
But expectations were raised after a summer of big spending - with Spurs splashing out £302m as well as making two high-profile loan signings.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 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
So what can World Cup travelers expect after splashing out to stay on the edge of an industrial park in New Jersey?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
William is splashing around in his little kiddie pool.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
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.
