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dash

verb · noun

Simple meaning

Run or move very quickly or hastily.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

dash
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈdæʃ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. Run or move very quickly or hastily

  2. intransitive

    To run quickly or for a short distance.

  3. transitiveusually with down or off

    To complete hastily.

  4. transitive

    To draw or write quickly; jot.

  5. Break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over

  6. Destroy or break

noun

  1. A quick run

  2. A short run, flight.

  3. A rushing or violent onset.

  4. Violent strike; a whack.

  5. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code

  6. ukindia

    A prime symbol.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
Neutral / general English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Run or move very quickly or hastily

Used this way, dash is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Moderate
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use dash

  • “He dashed the plate against the wall.”verb
  • “He is preparing for the 100-yard dash.”noun
  • “He wooed her with the confident dash of a cavalry officer.”noun

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

yard dashdash throughdash linemeter dashquick dashsalt dash

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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • scud

    Run or move very quickly or hastily.

  • shoot

    To move or act quickly or suddenly.

  • bolt

    To drink one's drink very quickly.

  • dart

    To fly or pass swiftly, like a dart.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • dash offverbCompound term

    Write quickly.

  • dash-potnounCompound term

    A mechanical damper.

  • dashing hopesnounCompound term

    An act (or failure to act) that disappoints someone.

  • dash downverbCompound term

    Write down hastily.

  • swung dashnounCompound term

    A punctuation mark used in text to indicate the omission of a word.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: run or move very quickly or hastily

shootdartbolt

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.