sprinkle
Americanverb (used with object)
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to scatter (a liquid, powder, etc.) in drops or particles.
She sprinkled sugar on the cake.
- Synonyms:
- rain, scatter, distribute
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to disperse or distribute here and there.
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to overspread with drops or particles of water, powder, or the like.
to sprinkle a lawn.
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to diversify or intersperse with objects scattered here and there.
verb (used without object)
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to scatter or disperse liquid, a powder, etc., in drops or particles.
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to be sprinkled.
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to rain slightly (often used impersonally with it as subject).
It may sprinkle this evening.
noun
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the act or an instance of sprinkling.
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Usually sprinkles. small particles of chocolate, candy, sugar, etc., used as a decorative topping for cookies, cakes, ice-cream cones, and the like.
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a light rain.
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a small quantity or number.
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a small party given to celebrate a mother-to-be or bride-to-be as an alternative to a larger bridal or baby shower.
We decided to skip the big baby shower and just have a sprinkle this time.
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Archaic. something used for sprinkling.
a holy-water sprinkle.
verb
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to scatter (liquid, powder, etc) in tiny particles or droplets over (something)
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(tr) to distribute over (something)
the field was sprinkled with flowers
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(intr) to drizzle slightly
noun
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the act or an instance of sprinkling or a quantity that is sprinkled
-
a slight drizzle
Synonym Usage
Sprinkle, scatter, strew mean to fling, spread, or disperse. To sprinkle means to fling about small drops or particles: to sprinkle water on clothes, powder on plants. To scatter is to disperse or spread widely: to scatter seeds. To strew is to scatter, especially in such a way as to cover or partially cover a surface: to strew flowers on a grave.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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resprinkleverb
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intersprinkleverb (used with object)
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presprinkleverb (used with object)
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unsprinkledadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sprinklesimple
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sprinklessimple
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have sprinkledperfect
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has sprinkledperfect
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am sprinklingprogressive
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are sprinklingprogressive
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is sprinklingprogressive
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have been sprinklingperfect progressive
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has been sprinklingperfect progressive
Past
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sprinkledsimple
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had sprinkledperfect
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was sprinklingprogressive
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were sprinklingprogressive
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had been sprinklingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sprinkle
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb sprenklen; cognate with Dutch sprenkelen, German sprenkeln; akin to Old English sprengan “to sprinkle, make (something) spring, scatter,” causative of springan “to spring”; see spring
Explanation
A sprinkle is a light shower of something, often water. It’s also a verb that means to gently scatter something. A sprinkle of snow won’t cause school to close, but a sprinkle of fairy dust could transport you to a magical land. When there’s a sprinkle of rain, you should bring an umbrella just in case it turns into a downpour. A sprinkler causes a sprinkle of water to fall on the flowerbeds, and if it’s really hot, it can be fun to play under. At the Memorial Day parade, the firefighters might sprinkle confetti over the crowd — and if you’re lucky, they’ll sprinkle candy, too. Speaking of candy, a sprinkle is also a tiny treat often sprinkled on your ice cream.
Vocabulary lists containing sprinkle
Raining Cats and Dogs
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National Cookie Day
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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.
See Examples For:
It’s also his first record sung predominantly in Spanish — along with the occasional sprinkle of English and Korean.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
During a red alert -- the highest level -- the ministry advises people to eat light, stay indoors in the hottest parts of the day and sprinkle themselves with cool water.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
To add some variety, I also like to sprinkle in some extra dark chocolate chips with the granola layer and/or drizzle a bit of nut butter into the fruit layer.
From Salon ● May 24, 2026
Then drop in a few pickled cucumbers and garnish with a cilantro-onion sprinkle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026
She noticed, for the first time, a light sprinkle of freckles on her cheeks, and she touched them in wonder.
From "Ash" by Malinda Lo
"There's been a shift lately in adding whimsical elements to your everyday, with things like sprinkles on matcha, yoghurt bowls and desserts."
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
He dismissively compares the building to a mona de Pascua, an Easter cake decorated with colorful sprinkles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
Susan Prunty’s bakery in Medford, Ore., sold about 25 Christmas cookie decorating kits through the middle of last December, complete with a dozen freshly baked sugar cookies, buttercream frosting, and sprinkles.
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
By Monday the storm had been reduced to light sprinkles across the area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 17, 2025
“It’s a little something to make this special day extra special. Like sprinkles on an ice cream sundae.”
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
There are good to very good players sprinkled around the team, but the collective is decidedly average, at best, in the rarefied air of a World Cup.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
When the match started, a handful of rainbow flags were sprinkled throughout the crowd in the Seattle Stadium -- but there was little other sign of the Pride event happening outside its walls.
From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026
Some U.S. officials said the meeting was moving forward with three days of talks on sensitive topics sprinkled with media engagements to summarize closed-door discussions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
“A little smoked paprika sprinkled over the cheese before it melts also gives a nice, complex flavor boost. Both are inexpensive ways to make it feel less like a frozen meal.”
From Salon ● May 30, 2026
She brings over a pot of white rice with vegetable bits sprinkled over it and a plate of chicken patties.
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
Lev Sercarz suggests adding it to eggs or sprinkling it on raw vegetables.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
Spiegel says they brainstorm ideas for actors and themes based on what’s in the zeitgeist, tying the stories to specific moments in pop culture, then sprinkling in some evergreen stories throughout the year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Others were seen sprinkling water to cool them.
From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026
"The star has so little carbon that it suggests an early sprinkling of cosmic dust is responsible for making it," said Ji.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 4, 2026
I’d been sleeping in some type of vine, and wherever my body was exposed my skin had a sprinkling of pink rash.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
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.
