splatter

1 of 3

verb

splat·​ter ˈspla-tər How to pronounce splatter (audio)
splattered; splattering; splatters
Synonyms of splatternext

transitive verb

: spatter

intransitive verb

: to scatter or fall in or as if in drops

splatter

2 of 3

noun

: spatter, splash

splatter

3 of 3

adjective

: characterized by extreme or excessive gore or violence
a splatter movie

Synonyms

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of splatter in a Sentence

Verb Mud splattered everywhere when the wet dog shook himself. Rain splattered against the windows. A big bug splattered against the windshield of the car.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Flip the bacon carefully to avoid splattering grease on the heating element. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2025 On Wednesday, March 12, the actress, 35, was photographed with fake blood splattered on her face and clothes while filming a scene with Josh Hartnett for Verity in New York City. — Tommy McArdle, People.com, 12 Mar. 2025
Noun
Food splatters and grease buildup can become breeding grounds for bacteria and mold, potentially contaminating your meals and posing potential health risks. — Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025 Meteorologists say there’s a good chance of widespread rain in L.A. County next Tuesday and Wednesday and predict that this will be a heavier rainfall than the splatter over the weekend. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
The avid reader in your life will adore this set of splatter paint bookends made of concrete casts. — Jessica Cherner, House Beautiful, 11 Nov. 2022 The film is a mess of tones and ideas, lugubrious splatter-movie violence mixed with a confused desire to appeal to the Stranger Things demographic. — Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 20 Oct. 2022 See All Example Sentences for splatter

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably blend of splash and spatter

First Known Use

Verb

1785, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1819, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1980, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of splatter was in 1785

Rhymes for splatter

See All Rhymes for splatter

Browse Nearby Words

splatter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Splatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/splatter. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

splatter

verb
splat·​ter
ˈsplat-ər
1
: spatter entry 1 sense 1
2
: to scatter or fall in or as if in drops
splatter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on splatter

Nglish: Translation of splatter for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
number-twelve-balloon
12-Letter Words Quiz A dozen words, a dozen letters each.
See All