splash
splash — verb
1. to make drops of a liquid land on a surface or person, especially when you are h
to make drops of a liquid land on a surface or person, especially when you are handling the liquid or it moves suddenly.
Mauricio splashed coffee on his shirt while pouring a second cup.
splash + liquid + on + surface — accidental spilling
A wave splashed over the side of the boat, soaking Élise's towel.
Harper splashed cold water on her face to wake up before the exam.
The red paint splashed across the wooden floor when the can fell off the ladder.
- contain
to keep liquid from escaping
文法句型
splash + liquid + on/over/onto + surface
liquid + splashes + preposition + surface
用法筆記
Both transitive (you splash a liquid) and intransitive (the liquid splashes) patterns are common. The liquid that does the splashing is usually the subject of the intransitive form.
常見錯誤
2. to push your body or limbs through water energetically, sending drops flying in
to push your body or limbs through water energetically, sending drops flying in all directions, usually while playing.
The children splashed happily in the shallow end of the swimming pool.
splash + adverb + in + location — playing in water
Andrei splashed water at his little sister until she begged him to stop.
Darius jumped into the lake and splashed about for nearly an hour.
A dog ran into the stream and splashed around, chasing a floating stick.
文法句型
splash + adverb/preposition (about, around, in)
splash + noun + at + person
用法筆記
Commonly used with particles like about, around, and in. The intransitive form focuses on the person's movement through water rather than the liquid itself.
常見錯誤
3. to place a news story, photograph, or headline in a very large and noticeable po
to place a news story, photograph, or headline in a very large and noticeable position in a newspaper, magazine, or website.
The local newspaper splashed the mayor's resignation across its front page.
splash + story + across + front page — media use
Photos of the festival victory were splashed all over the news websites.
passive: be splashed all over + publication
The magazine splashed her photograph on the cover of the special edition.
Every morning the portal splashes the top headlines across its homepage banner.
- plaster
more informal, suggests an overwhelming or excessive display
- display prominently
more formal and less vivid than splash
- emblazon
more literary, suggests decorative or heraldic display
文法句型
be splashed + across/on/over + noun
splash + noun + across/on/over + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used with a prepositional phrase (across, on, over, all over). The passive form (be splashed) is very common in news contexts.
4. to add patches of vivid colour to a surface in a way that seems free and natural
to add patches of vivid colour to a surface in a way that seems free and natural rather than neat and organised.
Yara splashed bright yellow paint across one wall of her living room.
splash + colour + across + surface — artistic decorating
The designer splashed the dark blue fabric with gold and silver patterns.
splash + surface + with + colour
Sunlight splashed patches of orange across the kitchen floor at sunset.
Lukas splashed the canvas with bold strokes of red and green paint.
文法句型
splash + noun + with + colour
splash + colour + across/on/over + noun
用法筆記
Often used in art and design contexts. The focus is on the deliberate, creative arrangement of colour, not on accidental spilling.
常見錯誤
splash — noun
1. a little liquid that has landed on a surface after being knocked or tipped from
a little liquid that has landed on a surface after being knocked or tipped from a container.
There were big splashes of paint on the garage floor near the ladder.
a splash of + liquid — small quantity of spilled liquid
Nellie wiped up the splash of milk that had dripped from the table.
A small splash of red wine stained the edge of the white tablecloth.
The carpet showed dark splashes of water where the plant pot had leaked.
文法句型
a splash of + liquid
splash of + liquid + on + surface
用法筆記
Often used with of to specify the liquid: a splash of milk, a splash of wine. The phrase a splash of can also refer to a deliberately added small amount of liquid in cooking or drinks.
常見錯誤
2. the short, loud sound that is made when something hits or moves through water.
the short, loud sound that is made when something hits or moves through water.
The only sound was the soft splash of oars dipping into the river.
the splash of + noun — sound description
Brian heard a loud splash behind him and turned around quickly.
The stone hit the lake with a loud splash and then sank silently.
A heavy splash from the bathroom meant someone dropped a towel in the tub.
文法句型
a splash
with a splash
hear a splash
用法筆記
This sense is countable and typically singular. It can be modified by adjectives describing volume: a loud splash, a soft splash, a heavy splash.
3. a small area of bright colour on a surface, often placed for visual effect.
a small area of bright colour on a surface, often placed for visual effect.
The painting had bright splashes of red and orange against a dark background.
a splash of + colour — visual effect
Adaeze added a splash of yellow to the grey room by buying sunflower cushions.
The garden was mostly green, with splashes of purple from the lavender bushes.
A single splash of pink in the corner of the canvas drew the viewer's eye.
文法句型
a splash of + colour
用法筆記
Commonly used in art, design, and fashion criticism. The phrase a splash of colour is a fixed expression meaning a small amount of bright colour that makes something more attractive.
常見錯誤
4. a piece of news that causes great public interest or excitement, usually for a b
a piece of news that causes great public interest or excitement, usually for a brief time.
The scandal about the hospital made a huge splash in the national news media.
make a splash — idiom meaning to attract great attention
The celebrity wedding created a big splash online for several days.
That book made quite a splash when it first came out last summer.
The documentary about food waste caused a splash and led to new policies.
文法句型
make a splash
a big splash
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed phrase make a splash or cause a splash, meaning to attract a lot of attention. It is not used as a simple noun (e.g., ❌ 'The splash was big').
常見錯誤
5. the act or sound of a liquid being scattered about, or the playful movement of a
the act or sound of a liquid being scattered about, or the playful movement of a person or animal in water.
Mira giggled at the splash of water as Maeve jumped into the pool.
the splash of + noun — action of scattering water
The splash of the ducks in the pond could be heard from the picnic table.
Linh loved the splash of the fountain on her skin during the summer heat.
A lot of splash came from the washing machine when the door seal broke.
- spattering
usually refers to liquid hitting a surface, not movement in water
文法句型
the splash of + noun
a splash in + location
用法筆記
Can be countable (a splash) or uncountable (lots of splash). The uncountable use is more common when describing continuous activity or sound.