flash
verb · noun · adjective
Simple meaning
To cause to shine briefly or intermittently.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
flashIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈflæʃ
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.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
transitive
To cause to shine briefly or intermittently.
intransitive
To blink; to shine or illuminate intermittently.
Appear briefly
“The headlines flashed on the screen.”
Expose or show briefly
intransitive
To be visible briefly.
To flaunt; to display in a showy manner.
noun
A sudden, short, temporary burst of light.
A very short amount of time.
A sudden brilliant understanding
“He had a flash of intuition.”
figuratively
A sudden and brilliant burst, as of genius or wit.
Material left around the edge of a moulded part at the parting line of the mould.
A tattoo flash (example design on paper to give an idea of a possible tattoo).
adjective
UKof a person
Having plenty of ready money.
UKof a person
Liable to show off expensive possessions or money.
BritishAustralia and New Zealandslang
Expensive-looking and demanding attention; stylish; showy.
usslang
Occurring very rapidly, almost instantaneously.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To cause to shine briefly or intermittently.
Used this way, flash 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
- Not strongly marked
- 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 flash
- “The headlines flashed on the screen.”verb
- “A shooting star flashed and was gone.”verb
- “He had a flash of intuition.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
A short vivid experience.
Someone with a compulsive desire to expose the genitals.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A lamp for providing momentary light to take a photograph.
Nonvolatile storage that can be electrically erased and programmed anew.
Point at which something is ready to blow up.
Butt welding by creating an electric arc between the two pieces which melts and joins them.
A card with words or numbers or pictures that is flashed to a class by the teacher.
A camera with a photoflash attachment.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “flash” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
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.