I can't get this splinter out of my finger.
Source: tatoeba (59071)
Splinter
/ˈsplɪn.tɚ/
Synonyms for "splinter" (164 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (33)
Strong matches (49)
Related words (82)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: sliver, shard, sliver, atomize, bit.
- Sentence evidence is available for splinter, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "splinter".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "splinter"
Keep "splinter" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "splinter" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "splinter", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "splinter" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
22 entriesShowing 16 of 22 words.
More specific
10 entriesCollocations
8 entriesglass splintersharp splintersplinter cellsplinter factionsplinter grouptiny splinterwood splinterwooden splinter
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriesTranslations
118 translations across 62 languages.
Ancient Greek
1 entries- σχινδάλαμος noun (fragment of material)
Arabic
1 entries- شَظِيَّة noun (fragment of material)
Armenian
1 entries- տաշեղ noun (fragment of material)
Aromanian
2 entries- aschlje noun (fragment of material)
- ashclji noun (fragment of material)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- tilişkə noun (fragment of material)
Basque
1 entries- ezpal noun (fragment of material)
Belarusian
2 entries- ска́бка noun (fragment of material)
- стрэ́мка noun (fragment of material)
Bulgarian
2 entries- отло́мък noun (fragment of material)
- треска́ noun (fragment of material)
Catalan
1 entries- estella noun (fragment of material)
Cherokee
1 entries- ᎤᏢᏓᎸᏓ noun (fragment of material)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 刺 noun (fragment of material)
- 碎片 noun (fragment of material)
Czech
3 entries- odštěpek noun (fragment of material)
- tříska noun (fragment of material)
- úlomek noun (fragment of material)
Dalmatian
1 entries- sčela noun (fragment of material)
Danish
1 entries- splint noun (fragment of material)
Dutch
1 entries- splinter noun (fragment of material)
Esperanto
1 entries- splito noun (fragment of material)
Estonian
2 entries- kild noun (fragment of material)
- pind noun (fragment of material)
Finnish
3 entries- pirstale noun (fragment of material)
- sirpale noun (fragment of material)
- säle noun (fragment of material)
French
3 entries- esquille noun (fragment of material)
- écharde noun (fragment of material)
- éclat noun (fragment of material)
Friulian
2 entries- scae noun (fragment of material)
- sclese noun (fragment of material)
Galician
4 entries- acha noun (fragment of material)
- cavaco noun (fragment of material)
- escádea noun (fragment of material)
- estela noun (fragment of material)
Georgian
2 entries- ხიწვი noun (fragment of material)
- ხიჭვი noun (fragment of material)
German
4 entries- Schiefer noun (fragment of material)
- Splinter noun (fragment of material)
- Splitter noun (fragment of material)
- Spreißel noun (fragment of material)
Greek
3 entries- ακίδα noun (fragment of material)
- θραύσμα noun (fragment of material)
- σκλήθρα noun (fragment of material)
Hebrew
2 entries- קֵיסָם noun (fragment of material)
- שְׁבָב noun (fragment of material)
Hungarian
2 entries- forgács noun (fragment of material)
- szálka noun (fragment of material)
Ingrian
1 entries- päre noun (fragment of material)
Irish
2 entries- scealp noun (fragment of material)
- scealpóg noun (fragment of material)
Italian
1 entries- scheggia noun (fragment of material)
Japanese
2 entries- 刺 noun (fragment of material)
- 破片 noun (fragment of material)
Khmer
1 entries- ចំរាស noun (fragment of material)
Korean
2 entries- 조각 noun (fragment of material)
- 지저깨비 noun (fragment of material)
Lao
1 entries- ສ້ຽນ noun (fragment of material)
Latin
2 entries- assula noun (fragment of material)
- schidia noun (fragment of material)
Latvian
2 entries- skabarga noun (fragment of material)
- skaida noun (fragment of material)
Lithuanian
2 entries- drožlė noun (fragment of material)
- rakštis noun (fragment of material)
Macedonian
3 entries- деланка noun (fragment of material)
- спица noun (fragment of material)
- треска noun (fragment of material)
Māori
1 entries- koi noun (fragment of material)
Norman
1 entries- êclyi noun (fragment of material)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- flis noun (fragment of material)
Occitan
4 entries- ascla noun (fragment of material)
- astèla noun (fragment of material)
- esquilha noun (fragment of material)
- estèla noun (fragment of material)
Old English
1 entries- speld noun (fragment of material)
Persian
1 entries- تریشه noun (fragment of material)
Plautdietsch
1 entries- Spekja noun (fragment of material)
Polish
2 entries- drzazga noun (fragment of material)
- odłamek noun (fragment of material)
Portuguese
1 entries- farpa noun (fragment of material)
Romanian
1 entries- așchie noun (fragment of material)
Russian
2 entries- зано́за noun (fragment of material)
- ще́пка noun (fragment of material)
Sardinian
4 entries- alcia noun (fragment of material)
- ascia noun (fragment of material)
- ascra noun (fragment of material)
- astua noun (fragment of material)
Scots
2 entries- pran noun (fragment of material)
- spail noun (fragment of material)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- spealg noun (fragment of material)
Slovak
2 entries- trieska noun (fragment of material)
- štiepka noun (fragment of material)
Slovene
1 entries- trska noun (fragment of material)
Spanish
2 entries- astilla noun (fragment of material)
- esquirla noun (fragment of material)
Swedish
2 entries- flisa noun (fragment of material)
- sticka noun (fragment of material)
Tagalog
1 entries- subyang noun (fragment of material)
Tajik
1 entries- параха noun (fragment of material)
Thai
1 entries- เสี้ยน noun (fragment of material)
Turkish
1 entries- kıymık noun (fragment of material)
Ukrainian
2 entries- ска́бка noun (fragment of material)
- ска́лка noun (fragment of material)
Venetan
2 entries- s-cexa noun (fragment of material)
- sgrexénda noun (fragment of material)
Walloon
1 entries- schete noun (fragment of material)
Sample sentences
17 total sentences available.
I ran a splinter into my finger.
Source: tatoeba (258015)
Tom tried to get the splinter out of Mary's finger.
Source: tatoeba (1027860)
Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.
Source: tatoeba (1091034)
Showing 4 of 17 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "splinter"?
Closest matches include sliver, shard, sliver, atomize, bit.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "splinter"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.