flashverb
uk/flæʃ/us/flæʃ/flash verb (SHINE SUDDENLY)
B2 [ I or T ] to shine brightly and suddenly, or to make something shine in this way:
[ I ] literary If someone's eyes flash, they look bright because of the anger or excitement the person is feeling.
More examples
- She flashed the torch into the dark room.
- The fireworks flashed and exploded in the sky.
- A warning light on the dashboard was flashing.
- Could you flash the spotlight in this direction?
- This light flashes when the phone is charging.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Giving out light
- alight
- blink
- brighten
- burn
- burnish
- cast
- catch
- dazzle
- flicker
- gild
- glance
- glow
- illuminate
- redshift
- reflected ray
- shiny
- sparkly
- strobe
- trick
- UV
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flash verb (MOVE FAST)
C2 [ I usually + adv/prep ] to move very fast:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Moving quickly
- beetle
- belt
- bob
- bowl
- bowl down/along sth
- careen
- career
- gallop
- leg
- make off
- outran
- pelt
- rush
- scamper
- scoot
- scrabble
- scramble
- shoot
- stampede
- trot
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flash verb (SHOW QUICKLY)
C2 [ T ] to show something for a short time:
[ I or T ] informal If a man flashes, he shows his sexual organs in public:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Showing and demonstrating
- act sth out
- attest
- barometer
- bespeak
- bring
- bring sth forward
- flicker
- manifestation
- produce
- prove
- put up sth
- radiate
- revealing
- says something about sb/sth idiom
- signify
- speak
- strike
- suggest
- token
- wear
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flash verb (COMMUNICATE)
[ T usually + adv/prep ] to communicate something quickly, especially using radio or light waves:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Announcing, informing & stating
- acquaint sb/yourself with sth
- advise
- advisement
- annunciation
- come out
- commit
- confront
- declare
- fyi
- give sb a heads up idiom
- head
- let sb know idiom
- official
- pronouncement
- put
- put sth out 1
- spread the word idiom
- tell
- unannounced
- word
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flash verb (SUDDEN EXPERIENCE)
[ I + adv/prep ] If something flashes through/across your mind, you suddenly or quickly think of it:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Thinking and contemplating
- -ly
- agonize over/about sth
- chew
- chew sth over
- chew the cud idiom
- chew your cud idiom
- joined-up thinking
- lateral thinking
- let me see/let's see idiom
- let's see idiom
- puzzle
- rack
- reflect
- spare
- take sth into account idiom
- the thought crosses sb's mind idiom
- think sth out
- think sth over
- think sth through
- worry
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Phrasal verb(s)
flashnoun
uk/flæʃ/us/flæʃ/flash noun (BRIGHT LIGHT)
B2 [ C ] a sudden bright light that quickly disappears:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Quantities & units of light
- aureole
- beam
- blip
- bright
- glare
- glint
- glitter
- halo
- lustre
- lux
- pinprick
- point
- ray
- shaft
- sheen
- shimmer
- shine
- sparkle
- sunbeam
- twinkle
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flash noun (SUDDEN EXPERIENCE)
CB [ C usually singular ] a sudden, powerful emotional or mental experience:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Beginnings and starts
- a baptism of/by fire idiom
- a clean sheet/slate idiom
- advent
- baptism
- beginning
- clean
- go/be back to square one idiom
- inception
- initiation
- institution
- introduction
- jumping-off point
- salvo
- seed
- starting point
- starting time
- the outset
- the thin end of the wedge idiom
- thin
- trigger
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flash noun (PHOTOGRAPHY)
B2 [ C or U ] the device or system used to produce a bright light for a short time when taking a photograph:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Photography
- airbrush
- aperture
- camera
- camera obscura
- camera-shy
- capture
- exposure
- high-resolution
- hologram
- holography
- kinetoscope
- lo-res
- say cheese idiom
- selfie
- sharp
- shoot
- shutter
- slide
- SLR camera
- snapshot
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flash noun (MILITARY SIGN)
[ C ] UK a small object or piece of material worn on a military uniform as a sign of rank, or (on clothing) a strip or mark of colour different from the main colour
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
General ranks in the armed forces
- ADC
- adjutant
- aide-de-camp
- artificer
- C-in-C
- captain
- co-
- commandant
- commander-in-chief
- commissioned officer
- five-star
- four-star
- Lt
- marshal
- NCO
- non-commissioned officer
- officer
- ranking
- top brass
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flash noun (QUICK LOOK)
[ C ] humorous a quick look at something:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Showing and demonstrating
- act sth out
- attest
- barometer
- bespeak
- bring
- bring sth forward
- flicker
- manifestation
- produce
- prove
- put up sth
- radiate
- revealing
- says something about sb/sth idiom
- signify
- speak
- strike
- suggest
- token
- wear
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Idiom(s)
flashadjective
uk/flæʃ/us/flæʃ/UKlooking expensive in a way that attracts attention:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Attention-seeking, distracting and showing off
- bravura
- dressed
- exhibitionist
- flash sth around
- grandstander
- grandstanding
- hot dog! idiom
- ostentatious
- parade
- push
- razzmatazz
- showman
- slut
- streak
- streaker
- strut
- swanky
- tarty
- theatre
- tinsel
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