slather

1 of 2

verb

slath·​er ˈsla-t͟hər 

slathered; slathering ˈsla-t͟hə-riŋ 

ˈslat͟h-riŋ

transitive verb

1

a

: to spread thickly or lavishly

slathered sunscreen on her skin

b

: to spread something thickly or lavishly on

slathered her skin with sunscreen

2

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

slather

2 of 2

noun

plural slathers

: a great quantity

—often plural

Examples of slather in a Sentence

Verb

We ate lobster slathered with butter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

They’ll be served up with fresh asparagus and a couple of large taters slathered with butter, sour cream and chives. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026

At one point, Boyle literally slathers him in spurts of newspaper ink to literalize how much blood is on his hands. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2026

That’s aside from the other secret sauce, of course, which is DBS sauce — slathered on many of its patties. — Kansas City Star, 17 Aug. 2026

Each type has its own purpose, and using the wrong method, or slathering on too much (or too little), can seriously undermine results. — Anya Meyerowitz, Glamour, 2 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1843, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for slather

• gather
• lather
• rather