What does "dash" mean?
Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar).
Dash
/dæʃ/ intj, name, noun, verb, slang
intj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar).
- Grammar: dash is listed as intj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: bolt, sprint, abruptly, accelerator.
- Useful contrasts: achieve, amble, colons.
- Usage evidence: Don't dash off a sloppily written report filled with mistakes.
How to use "dash"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dash" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dash" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dash" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dash" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dash" is acting as intj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bolt" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dash", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar).
- 2 a quick run wordnet
- 3 Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar).; A hyphen or minus sign.
- 4 the act of moving with great haste wordnet
- 5 The longer of the two symbols of Morse code. broadly
Show 15 more definitions
- 6 distinctive and stylish elegance wordnet
- 7 A short run, flight.
"When the feds came they did the dash."
- 8 the longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code wordnet
- 9 A rushing or violent onset.
"The oar squeaks, a dash sound like moon-hustle on the river:"
- 10 a punctuation mark (‘-’) used between parts of a compound word or between the syllables of a word when the word is divided at the end of a line of text wordnet
- 11 Violent strike; a whack.
"They say that I’m way too cold, I never get tired of rappin My word is bang where I come from Watch be one work is magic Do it and dash it Smile on MAT No way this peng one acting Who got whacked and who got slapped And who got spared by dashes"
- 12 a footrace run at top speed wordnet
- 13 A small quantity of a liquid substance etc.; less than 1/8 of a teaspoon.
"Add a dash of vinegar."
- 14 A slight admixture. broadly, figuratively
"There is a dash of craziness in his personality."
- 15 Ostentatious vigor.
"Aren't we full of dash this morning?"
- 16 A bribe or gratuity; a gift. Nigeria
"The traditional practice of offering gifts or "dash" to chiefs has often been misinterpreted by scholars to provide a cultural explanation for the pervasive incidence of bribery and corruption in modern Africa."
- 17 A stand-in for a censored word, like "Devil" or "damn". (Compare deuce.) dated, euphemistic
"Sir Thomas looks as if to ask what the dash is that to you! but wanting still to go to India again, and knowing how strong the Newcomes are in Leadenhall Street, he thinks it necessary to be civil to the young cub, and swallows his pride once more into his waistband. Comment: Some editions leave this passage out. Of those that include it, some change the 'you!' to 'you?'."
- 18 Ellipsis of dashboard. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"The dash clock said 2:38 when[…] I turned off a dirt road[…]."
- 19 Ellipsis of dashboard.; The dashboard of a social media user. Internet, informal
"-i hope you find at least one thing on your dash that will make you laugh today."
- 20 A prime symbol. India, UK
Verb
- 1 To run quickly or for a short distance. intransitive
"He dashed across the field."
- 2 add an enlivening or altering element to wordnet
- 3 To leave or depart. informal, intransitive
"I have to dash now. See you soon."
- 4 break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over wordnet
- 5 To destroy by striking (against). transitive
"He dashed the bottle against the bar and turned about to fight."
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 hurl or thrust violently wordnet
- 7 To throw violently. transitive
"The man was dashed from the vehicle during the accident."
- 8 cause to lose courage; to be daunted; to be scared away wordnet
- 9 To sprinkle; to splatter. ambitransitive, figuratively, sometimes
"On each hand the gushing waters play, / And down the rough cascade white-dashing fall."
- 10 run or move very quickly or hastily wordnet
- 11 To mix, reduce, or adulterate, by throwing in something of an inferior quality. dated, transitive
"to dash wine with water"
- 12 destroy or break wordnet
- 13 To ruin; to destroy. transitive
"Her hopes were dashed when she saw the damage."
- 14 To dishearten; to sadden. transitive
"Her thoughts were dashed to melancholy."
- 15 To complete hastily. transitive
"He dashed down his eggs."
- 16 To draw or write quickly; jot. transitive
""Scarborough," Mrs. Flanders wrote on the envelope, and dashed a bold line beneath; it was her native town; the hub of the universe."
- 17 Damn (in forming oaths). dated, euphemistic, transitive
"Dash his impudence! Who is that scoundrel?"
Intj
- 1 Damn! euphemistic
Proper Noun
- 1 A topographic surname.
- 2 Acronym of Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 3 A male given name transferred from the surname. rare
- 4 Acronym of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
Example
"Don't dash off a sloppily written report filled with mistakes."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dash"?
Common synonyms include: bolt, sprint, abruptly, accelerator, admixture, adulterate.
How do you use "dash" in a sentence?
Don't dash off a sloppily written report filled with mistakes.
How do you pronounce "dash"?
Pronounced /dæʃ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English daschen, dassen, from Danish daske (“to slap, strike”), related to Swedish daska (“to smack, slap, spank”), of obscure origin. Compare German tatschen (“to grope, paw”), Old English dwǣsċan (“to quell, put out, destroy, extinguish”). See also dush.
Etymology 2
From Old French de + Old English æsċ "(residing) near an ash tree".