To splash means to make water (or another liquid) fly up and scatter in drops, usually with some force and noise. When you jump into a pool, you create a big splash that sends water spraying in all directions. When you step in a puddle, muddy water might splash onto your pants.

The word captures both the action and the sound: the cheerful splash of kids playing in a fountain on a hot day, or the annoying splash when a car drives through a puddle too close to the sidewalk. You can splash water playfully at a friend during a water fight, or accidentally splash yourself while washing dishes.

Splash can also mean spreading something across a surface in a bold, noticeable way. A painter might splash bright colors across a canvas. A magazine might splash a dramatic photo across its cover. When a story makes a big splash, it means people notice it and talk about it, like ripples spreading across water after something heavy drops in.

The word often suggests something sudden, energetic, and a little messy, whether it's literal water flying through the air or figurative attention spreading quickly through a crowd.