Definition

1. Noun:

   • The act of scattering liquid: The action of causing a liquid to fly about in drops or small quantities, often with some force.
   • A patch of bright color or light: A small, noticeable area of a contrasting color or brightness that adds visual interest.
   • A small amount of a liquid: A small quantity of a liquid, often added to something else.
   • A brief period of conspicuous attention or publicity: A short-lived but prominent and sensational event or news story.
   • The sound of liquid hitting or moving: The noise made by liquid striking a surface or being agitated.

2. Verb:

   • To cause a liquid to scatter: To make a liquid fly about in drops, typically by hitting, moving, or throwing it.
   • To move through liquid noisily: To walk, jump, or move in water or mud so that it scatters and makes sound.
   • To soil or mark with scattered liquid: To stain or cover something with drops or patches of a liquid or substance.
   • To apply or scatter something in patches: To mark, decorate, or overlay with contrasting areas of color or texture.
   • To dash a liquid against something: To throw or pour a liquid onto a surface with some force.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The child's jump into the puddle created a huge splash.
  • She added a splash of milk to her coffee.
  • The artist added a splash of red to the painting.
  • The new product launch made a big splash in the tech news.

• Verb:

  • Please don't splash water on the floor.
  • The kids love to splash in the pool.
  • The passing car splashed mud all over my clothes.
  • The setting sun splashed the sky with orange and pink.

Advanced Usage

• "to make a splash": To attract a lot of attention, often for a short time.

  • The young designer made a splash with her first fashion show.

• "splash out (on something)" (British English, informal): To spend money freely or extravagantly on something.

  • They splashed out on a luxury vacation.

Variants and Related Words

• Splashy (adj): Conspicuously attractive or colorful; making a splash.

  • The magazine had a splashy cover.

• Splasher (n): A person or thing that splashes; a protective guard against splashes.

Synonyms

• Noun: Spatter, burst, dab, spot, sensation.
• Verb: Spatter, splatter, slosh, plash, dabble.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Splash down: (Of a spacecraft) to land on water.

  • The capsule is scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean.

• Splash about/around: To play or move vigorously in water.

  • The children were splashing about in the shallow end.

Related Idioms

• Make a splash: To do something that gets a lot of public attention.

  • His controversial book really made a splash.

• A splash of color: A small but bright and noticeable area of color.

  • The yellow cushions provide a splash of color in the grey room.

Noun

1. the act of scattering water about haphazardly
2. the act of splashing a (liquid) substance on a surface
3. a patch of bright color
   • her red hat gave her outfit a splash of color
4. a small quantity of something moist or liquid
   • a dab of paint
   • a splatter of mud
   • just a splash of whiskey
5. a prominent or sensational but short-lived news event
   • he made a great splash and then disappeared
6. the sound like water splashing

Verb

1. strike and dash about in a liquid
   • The boys splashed around in the pool
2. soil or stain with a splashed liquid
3. make a splashing sound
   • water was splashing on the floor
4. mark or overlay with patches of contrasting color or texture; cause to appear splashed or spattered
   • The mountain was splashed with snow
5. dash a liquid upon or against
   • The mother splashed the baby's face with water
6. walk through mud or mire
   • We had to splosh across the wet meadow
7. cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force
   • She splashed the water around her