flashed; flashing; flashes
2
: to break forth in or like a sudden flame or flare
3
a
: to appear suddenly
an idea flashes into her mind
b
: to move with great speed
the days flash by
4
a
: to break forth or out so as to make a sudden display
b
: to act or speak vehemently and suddenly especially in anger
5
a
: to give off light suddenly or in transient bursts
b
: to glow or gleam especially with animation or passion
her eyes flashed with anger
6
: to change suddenly or violently into vapor
7
: to expose one's breasts or genitals usually suddenly and briefly in public
8
: to have sudden insight
—often used with on
1
a
archaic
: splash
b
: to fill by a sudden inflow of water
2
a
: to cause the sudden appearance of (light)
b
: to cause to burst violently into flame
c(1)
: to cause (light) to reflect
(2)
: to cause (something) to reflect light
flash a mirror
(3)
: to cause (a lamp) to flash
d
: to convey by means of flashes of light
3
a
: to make known or cause to appear with great speed
flash a message on the screen
b
: to display obtrusively and ostentatiously
always flashing a roll of bills
c
: to expose to view usually suddenly and briefly
flashed a badge
4
: to cover with or form into a thin layer: such as
a
: to protect against rain by covering with sheet metal or a substitute
b
: to coat (glass) with a thin layer (as of metal or a differently colored glass)
5
: to subject (an exposed photographic negative or positive) to a supplementary uniform exposure to light before development in order to modify detail or tone
6
: to expose one's breasts or genitals usually suddenly and briefly to
flashed the audience
1
a
: a sudden burst of light
b
: a movement of a flag in signaling
2
: a sudden and often brilliant burst
a flash of wit
3
: a brief time
4
5
obsolete
: thieves' slang
6
: something flashed: such as
b
: smile
c
: a first brief news report
e
: a quick-spreading flame or momentary intense outburst of radiant heat
f(1)
(2)
: a device for producing a flashlight for taking photographs
7
8
: the rapid conversion of a liquid into vapor
1
2
: of sudden origin and short duration
a flash fire
3
: having or using a solid-state data storage technology that retains data even without a connection to a power source
flash memory
: by very brief exposure to an intense altering agent (such as heat or cold)
flash fry
flash freeze
Did you know?
The origin of the word flash is uncertain, although it rhymes with a number of other verbs that also mean forceful, often violent movement that may come to a quick end: dash, lash, crash, slash, clash, gash, bash, splash, smash. These words turn up in English over a fairly long period of time, from dash— the only word in the group with a likely foreign source—in the 14th century, to smash in the 18th century. The element -ash has thus provided a kind of model for new words. The initial fl – that is added to -ash to make flash is also heard in words meaning quick movement, as flee, fly, flicker, and flutter.
Synonyms
Examples of flash in a Sentence
Verb
Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed.
Cameras flashed as the celebrities passed.
A car was sitting on the side of the road with its lights flashing.
A message flashed on the screen.
The screen flashed a message in black letters.
Her eyes flashed with anger.
Noun
A brilliant flash lit up the sky.
The idea for the movie came to her in a flash of inspiration.
They relied on gimmicks and flash to get people's attention.
a show with a lot of flash but little substance
Adjective
flash floods in the local area
Recent Examples on the Web
Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
By her account, the Volkswagen cut her off and its driver flashed her a sarcastic peace sign.
—Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Mention their names and Washington flashes the pearly whites.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2024
Roberts never flashes her Pretty Woman smile; Amanda looks strained, especially contrasted with the Scotts.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 Apr. 2024
When the Grammy winner finished, the lights flashed rainbow colors, and the crowd cheered loudly.
—Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Scenery is chewed as Wahlberg sports a faux Southern accent and flashes a sociopathic glint in his eye.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
The kid from Jersey City flashed a mischievous grin.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2024
Despite signs warning drivers to turn back, red reflectors and sometimes flashing lights, wrong-way crashes have increased throughout Ohio in recent years.
—Max Filby, The Enquirer, 5 Apr. 2024
Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
More severe storms and flash flooding continued for parts of the U.S. on Thursday after an intense line of storms whipped through multiple states with heavy rain and tornadoes, leaving extensive damage and killing at least one person.
—Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024
Farther north, the Weather Prediction Center said flash flooding may occur in several metro areas including Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
More than 155,000 utility customers were without power from Louisiana to North Carolina, according to a USA TODAY database.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
And Rue La La is having a flash sale with steep discounts on denim and more from Mother, a brand that Meghan Markle and Jennifer Lopez have worn.
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Severe weather and flash flooding could lead to hazardous travel after the eclipse, the Weather Prediction Center said.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
Video played in court shows a series of muzzle flashes from behind a tree where Sergio Harris had been standing and police would later say more than 100 rounds had been fired during the shootout that killed innocent bystanders, including a homeless woman sleeping in a doorway.
—Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee, 3 Apr. 2024
Sam’s Club sometimes offers flash discounts on memberships.
—Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Gagne said her intent was to protect the privacy of characters by not naming them, noting the flashes of criminality described in her story.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2022
The preserve’s southern region is a study in the power of water, and the Lost Dog Wash Trail gives a tour of how flash floods and storm runoff have shaped the foothills of the McDowell Mountains range in the northeast Valley.
—Mare Czinar, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2022
Verb
Orcas will swim close to a school of fish and flash their white bellies toward them until they are positioned where the orcas want.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
By her account, the Volkswagen cut her off and its driver flashed her a sarcastic peace sign.
—Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Mention their names and Washington flashes the pearly whites.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2024
Roberts never flashes her Pretty Woman smile; Amanda looks strained, especially contrasted with the Scotts.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 Apr. 2024
When the Grammy winner finished, the lights flashed rainbow colors, and the crowd cheered loudly.
—Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Scenery is chewed as Wahlberg sports a faux Southern accent and flashes a sociopathic glint in his eye.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
The kid from Jersey City flashed a mischievous grin.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2024
Despite signs warning drivers to turn back, red reflectors and sometimes flashing lights, wrong-way crashes have increased throughout Ohio in recent years.
—Max Filby, The Enquirer, 5 Apr. 2024
Noun
In Southern California, Schoenfeld said there’s a 10% to 20% possibility of thunderstorms that could bring heavy rains and flash flooding to areas.
—Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
More severe storms and flash flooding continued for parts of the U.S. on Thursday after an intense line of storms whipped through multiple states with heavy rain and tornadoes, leaving extensive damage and killing at least one person.
—Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024
Farther north, the Weather Prediction Center said flash flooding may occur in several metro areas including Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
More than 155,000 utility customers were without power from Louisiana to North Carolina, according to a USA TODAY database.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
And Rue La La is having a flash sale with steep discounts on denim and more from Mother, a brand that Meghan Markle and Jennifer Lopez have worn.
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Severe weather and flash flooding could lead to hazardous travel after the eclipse, the Weather Prediction Center said.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
Video played in court shows a series of muzzle flashes from behind a tree where Sergio Harris had been standing and police would later say more than 100 rounds had been fired during the shootout that killed innocent bystanders, including a homeless woman sleeping in a doorway.
—Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee, 3 Apr. 2024
Sam’s Club sometimes offers flash discounts on memberships.
—Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Gagne said her intent was to protect the privacy of characters by not naming them, noting the flashes of criminality described in her story.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Residents who live near the intersection where the accident occurred said the flash mobs of street takeovers have become weekly occurrences in their neighborhood.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2022
The preserve’s southern region is a study in the power of water, and the Lost Dog Wash Trail gives a tour of how flash floods and storm runoff have shaped the foothills of the McDowell Mountains range in the northeast Valley.
—Mare Czinar, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flash.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flash
Cite this Entry
“Flash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flash. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flash
1 of 3 verb1
: to shine in or like a sudden flame
lightning flashed
her eyes flashed with excitement
2
: to send out in or as if in flashes
flash a message
3
: to appear or pass very suddenly
a car flashed by
4
: to gleam or glow in sudden bursts
5
: to expose to view usually briefly
flash a badge
flash
2 of 3 noun1
a
: a sudden burst of light, flame, or heat
b
: a movement of a flag or light in signaling
2
: a sudden and brilliant burst
a flash of wit
3
: a brief time
4
: one that attracts notice
especially
: an outstanding athlete
5
: a device for producing a brief and very bright flash of light for taking photographs
flash
3 of 3 adjective1
: beginning suddenly and lasting only a short time
a flash fire
2
: having or using a solid-state data storage technology that retains data even without a connection to a power source
Etymology
Verb
Middle English flaschen
Word Origin
The origin of the word flash is uncertain, though it rhymes with a number of other verbs that also mean forceful, often violent movement that may come to a quick end: dash, lash, crash, slash, clash, gash, bash, splash, smash. These words turn up in English over a fairly long period of time, from dash—the only word in the group with a likely foreign source—in the 14th century to smash in the 18th century. The element -ash has thus provided a kind of model for new words. The initial fl- that is added to -ash to make flash is also heard in words meaning quick movement, as flee, fly, flicker, and flutter.
Medical Definition
flash
noun
: rush sense 2 compare hot flash
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share