Meaning & use
flashed
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“flashed” is a form of “flash”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Gave out a sudden bright light for a short moment, or made a light do this.
Grammar: No object when the light itself flashes: the sign flashed. With an object when you make it flash: she flashed her torch.
Patterns
- something flashed
- flash something at someone
Lightning flashed across the sky just before the thunder.
The warning light flashed red on the dashboard.
He flashed his headlights to let the other driver go first.
verbtransitive
Showed something to people for a very short time.
Grammar: Takes an object: she flashed her ticket.
Patterns
- flash something at someone
- flash a smile
She flashed her badge at the guard and walked in.
He flashed a quick smile before leaving the room.
The teacher flashed the answer on the screen for only a second.
verbintransitive
Moved or passed very quickly, or came suddenly into the mind.
Grammar: No object; often followed by past, by or through: a train flashed past.
Patterns
- flash past
- flash through something
A cyclist flashed past us on the hill.
A terrible thought flashed through her mind.
The scenery flashed by as the train sped north.
Word forms
| base form | flash |
|---|---|
| third person singular | flashes |
| past tense | flashed |
| -ing form | flashing |
Common combinations
- flashed a smile
- She flashed a smile at the camera.
- flashed her headlights
- The driver flashed her headlights to warn us.
- flashed past
- The motorbike flashed past in a blur.
- flashed through his mind
- Memories of home flashed through his mind.
- flashed on the screen
- The score flashed on the screen after the match.
- lightning flashed
- Lightning flashed over the hills.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flickered
- Flickered suggests an unsteady, repeating light, while flashed is one sudden burst.
- sparkled
- Sparkled gives a shining, glittering effect, whereas flashed is sharper and shorter.
- darted
- Darted describes quick, sudden movement only, while flashed can also mean light or showing something.
- displayed
- Displayed is neutral and can last a long time, while flashed means shown only for a split second.
Opposites
Word family
- flash noun
- a sudden short burst of light
- flashing adjective
- giving out repeated bursts of light
- flashy adjective
- bright and showy in a way meant to attract attention
- flashback noun
- a sudden vivid memory or a film scene set in the past
- flashlight noun
- a battery torch
Commonly confused: flashed or flushed?
flashed vs flushed
Flushed means turned red in the face or cleaned with water. It is not about light or quick movement.
Practice
The driver ______ his headlights to tell us it was safe to cross.
Choose one answer.
Flashed is the past tense of flash, which fits headlights and a completed action. Flashing and flash are the wrong forms here, and flushed has a different meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “flashed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.