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
There are explosions, too, and lots of NSFW supe antics, like one unidentified supe hacking up a disgusting ball of...something from her throat that splatters on Kimiko's cheek. — EW.com, 26 July 2025 Another woman grabbed her and put her in the bathroom, then that woman was shot and killed, splattering blood on the child, who was otherwise uninjured, the sheriff said. — Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 25 July 2025
Noun
How blood splatters on clothing Analyzing blood splatter patterns is a key focus in forensic science, and physicists have been offering their expertise for several years now, including in two 2019 studies on splatter patterns from gunshot wounds. — ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2025 Heavy spills or splatters should always be cleaned right away. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 27 July 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

splathering
splatter
splatterdock
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Splatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/splatter. Accessed 15 Aug. 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

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Hypercorrections: Are you making these 6 common mistakes?

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

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
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 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
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All