Flash
/flæʃ/
Definitions
4 meaningsTo appear or shine briefly, or to cause something to do so.
/flæʃ/
To shine or appear suddenly and briefly.
The headlights flashed on the highway.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're taking a picture! The camera makes a quick bright light called a flash. That's like this word. If something flashes, it appears very quickly and then goes away, like a lightning bolt!
👶 For kids: To shine on and off really fast, like a light.
More Examples
A smile flashed across her face.
The emergency lights flashed red and blue.
How It's Used
"The lightning flashed across the sky."
"The photographer flashed the camera."
"The screen flashed a warning."
A sudden, brief burst of light.
/flæʃ/
A sudden brief burst of light.
The flash from the camera startled me.
💡 Simply: Have you ever taken a picture and seen a bright burst of light? That's a flash! It’s a quick burst of light that happens and then goes away.
👶 For kids: A quick, bright light.
More Examples
A flash of inspiration came to her.
There was a flash of lightning, followed by thunder.
How It's Used
"The flash of the camera blinded him momentarily."
"A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the landscape."
"The device has a built-in flash."
A sudden display or indication, often of something emotional or insightful.
/flæʃ/
A brief display of something, often something sudden and striking.
A flash of insight allowed her to solve the puzzle.
💡 Simply: Sometimes, something appears very quickly in your mind, like a sudden idea or feeling, it’s a 'flash' of something! Like a 'flash' of anger or a quick idea
👶 For kids: A very quick show of something, like a feeling or an idea.
More Examples
A flash of memory brought back the forgotten moment.
There was a flash of brilliance in his argument.
How It's Used
"A flash of anger crossed his face."
"A flash of recollection helped him remember the incident."
Showy or ostentatious; attracting attention.
/flæʃ/
Showy or ostentatious.
The flash jewelry caught her eye.
💡 Simply: Something that's super showy and draws a lot of attention to itself. Think of clothes or cars that are really fancy!
👶 For kids: Something that tries to get you to look at it because it's fancy or shows off.
More Examples
He was wearing a flash new car.
She lived a flash life.
How It's Used
"He wore a flash suit to the party."
"A flash car drove past."
Idioms & expressions
in a flash
Very quickly; instantly.
"The fire spread in a flash."
flash in the pan
Something that appears promising at first but quickly fails or disappoints.
"The new product was a flash in the pan."
flash sale
A limited-time online sale offering steep discounts.
"The store is having a flash sale today only."
From Middle English flasshen, from Old English *flascian, related to Old Norse flasa ('to flash'). The metaphorical use in photography developed in the 19th century.
The word 'flash' has been used since the 16th century, originally with the meaning of a sudden burst or display. The photographic sense dates back to the 19th century.