What does "splash" mean?
The sound made by an object hitting a liquid.
Splash
/splæʃ/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The sound made by an object hitting a liquid.
- Grammar: splash is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: spatter, accent color, ado, asperge.
- Useful contrasts: absorb, budget, calm.
- Usage evidence: Children enjoy making a splash in the water as they come off a waterslide.
How to use "splash"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "splash" 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 "splash" 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 "splash" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "splash" 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 "splash" is acting as 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 "spatter" 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 "splash", 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 The sound made by an object hitting a liquid. onomatopoeic
"I heard a splash when the rock landed in the pond."
- 2 the act of scattering water about haphazardly wordnet
- 3 A small amount of liquid.
"I felt a splash of rain, so I put up my hood."
- 4 the act of splashing a (liquid) substance on a surface wordnet
- 5 A small amount (of color).
"The painter put a splash of blue on the wall to make it more colorful"
Show 14 more definitions
- 6 a patch of bright color wordnet
- 7 A mark or stain made from a small amount of liquid.
"There was a visible splash on his pants after he went to the bathroom."
- 8 the sound like water splashing wordnet
- 9 An impact or impression.
"The new movie made quite a splash upon its release."
- 10 a small quantity of something moist or liquid wordnet
- 11 A splash screen. informal
"When the splash appears with Please wait, wait for Windows to start configuration."
- 12 a prominent or sensational but short-lived news event wordnet
- 13 A body press; a move where the wrestler jumps forward from a raised platform such as the top turnbuckle, landing stomach first across an opponent lying on the ground below.
- 14 A cosmetic powder to whiten the complexion. dated
- 15 A large, prominent headline or article.
"So for a local newspaper, a splash on a fatal crash is just the first of a series of reports."
- 16 A splash page.
- 17 The shooting down of an aircraft over water. slang
"Hits were observed, but again the poor functioning of VT ammunition hindered in effecting a splash."
- 18 The bleeding caused by a knife wound. Multicultural-London-English, slang
"Jojo caught up and gave him a splash Slap that wap, get rid of them plats"
- 19 A knife. Multicultural-London-English, slang
"You grip your splash for fashion—me and you, we ain’t got the same intentions."
Verb
- 1 To hit or agitate liquid so that part of it separates from the principal liquid mass. intransitive
"sit and splash in the bathtub"
- 2 mark or overlay with patches of contrasting color or texture; cause to appear splashed or spattered wordnet
- 3 (of a liquid) To disperse suddenly as a result of an impulse; to splatter. intransitive
"Water splashed everywhere."
- 4 dash a liquid upon or against wordnet
- 5 To hit or agitate (liquid) so that part of it separates from the principal liquid mass. transitive
"She splashed water onto her face."
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force wordnet
- 7 To hit or expel liquid at. transitive
"The children were splashing each other playfully in the sea."
- 8 strike and dash about in a liquid wordnet
- 9 To create an impact or impression; to print, post, or publicize prominently. transitive
"The headline was splashed across newspapers everywhere."
- 10 soil or stain with a splashed liquid wordnet
- 11 To spend (money). transitive
"After pay day I can afford to splash some cash and buy myself a motorbike."
- 12 walk through mud or mire wordnet
- 13 To roughly fill with color. figuratively
"This was pure theatre, with a 60,000 crowd at Wembley adding colour to the fight to face either England or Denmark in Sunday's final, the stadium splashed with the red of Spain at one end and the victorious blue of Italy at the other as crowds flocked back in ever bigger numbers after pandemic restrictions were lifted."
- 14 make a splashing sound wordnet
- 15 To launch a ship. transitive
"In the two years following Midway, Japanese shipyards managed to splash only six additional fleet carriers. The United States in the same period added seventeen, along with ten medium carriers and eighty-six escort carriers."
- 16 To shoot down (an aircraft) over water. slang
"Planes were sighted at about 5000 yards, fire was opened at 4500 yards; the first plane was splashed about 1800 yards from the ship, the second was splashed about 3000 yards from the ship and rudder shifted to hard right."
- 17 To stab (a person), causing them to bleed. Multicultural-London-English, transitive
"Grab him, don't panic, rambo under my jacket Nap him, splash him, then I'm petrol bath my jacket"
Example
"Children enjoy making a splash in the water as they come off a waterslide."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "splash"?
Common synonyms include: spatter, accent color, ado, asperge, babble, bedabble.
How do you use "splash" in a sentence?
Children enjoy making a splash in the water as they come off a waterslide.
How do you pronounce "splash"?
Pronounced /splæʃ/.
Etymology
Probably an alteration of plash (compare spatter, spill for the initial s-).