slather

1 of 2

noun

slath·​er ˈsla-t͟hər 

: a great quantity

—often used in plural

slather

2 of 2

verb

slathered; slathering ˈsla-t͟hə-riŋ 

ˈslat͟h-riŋ

transitive verb

1

: to use or spend in a wasteful or lavish manner : squander

2

a

: to spread thickly or lavishly

slathered sunscreen on her skin

b

: to spread something thickly or lavishly on

slathered her skin with sunscreen

Examples of slather in a Sentence

Verb

We ate lobster slathered with butter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

So that's double the reason to slather on SPF regularly—understood! —Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 8 Apr. 2026

This 2-pack of spreaders and tongs is essential for guests to grab those bite-sized sandwiches and slather jam or butter on scones. —Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 7 Apr. 2026

Verb

Layer some slices of cooked tempeh onto whole-grain toast slathered with ripe avocado. —Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 14 Apr. 2026

Frankie slathered a plain Italian roll with Cheez Whiz, just like his father liked to do. —Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1843, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for slather

• gather
• lather
• rather