flash
gb/flˈæʃ/ us/flˈæʃ/
A2
English
~ 1200
felvillan, villog, villanás, vaku, villant, gyorsan felmutat, pillanat, egy pillanat alatt, mutogatja magát, exhibicionistáskodik
VERB
A2
1
Usage pattern:
to flash [light]
Lightning flashed across the sky.
Felvillant a villám az égen.
The warning light flashed red.
A figyelmeztető lámpa pirosan villogott.
Cameras flashed as the celebrity walked in.
The beacon flashed twice before going dark.
Learner examples
The light flashed in the dark.
A fény felvillant a sötétben.
The phone screen flashed when I got a message.
A telefon képernyője felvillant, amikor üzenetet kaptam.
A camera flashed at the wedding.
The sign flashed every few seconds.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'flash' with 'shine'; 'shine' usually means to give light continuously, not briefly.
Meaning
shine briefly and suddenly
Collocations
flash light
|flash brightly
|flash suddenly
|camera flash
Synonyms
blink (Often refers to lights turning on and off quickly, sometimes repeatedly.)
Antonyms
glow (Describes a steady light rather than a brief burst.)
Themes
vision
|technology
|daily life
|science
Definition
To give off a short, bright light.
To shine or emit a sudden, brief burst of light.
NOUN
A2
2
There was a flash of lightning before the thunder.
A mennydörgés előtt felvillant a villám.
The photographer adjusted the flash on his camera.
A fotós beállította a vakut a fényképezőgépén.
A bright flash lit up the room.
Learner examples
I saw a flash in the sky.
Láttam egy villanást az égen.
The camera made a flash when it took the photo.
A fényképezőgép vakuja felvillant, amikor elkészült a fotó.
There was a flash from the torch.
Meaning
brief burst of light
Collocations
a flash of lightning
|camera flash
|in a flash
Synonyms
glint (A small flash of reflected light, often from metal or glass.)
Antonyms
darkness (The absence of light.)
Themes
vision
|photography
|science
|technology
Definition
A quick, bright light that lasts for a very short time.
A sudden and short burst of light.
VERB
B1
3
villant
B2
Usage pattern:
to flash [something] [at someone]
She flashed her ID at the guard.
Gyorsan felmutatta az igazolványát az őrnek.
He flashed a smile at his friend.
Egy mosolyt villantott a barátjára.
The news channel flashed breaking news on the screen.
Learner examples
He flashed his ticket to the driver.
Gyorsan felmutatta a jegyét a sofőrnek.
She flashed a big smile at me.
Nagy mosolyt villantott rám.
The card was flashed to the worker.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'flash' with 'wave'; 'wave' usually means moving something back and forth rather than just showing it briefly.
Meaning
show quickly and briefly
Collocations
flash a smile
|flash an ID card
|flash headlines
Synonyms
display briefly (A neutral phrase meaning to show for a short time.)
Antonyms
conceal (To keep something hidden instead of showing it.)
Themes
communication
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To show something for only a short time.
To show something for a very short time, often so that it can be seen quickly or unexpectedly.
NOUN
B1
4
pillanat
A2
It was over in a flash.
Egy pillanat alatt vége lett.
She disappeared in a flash.
Egy pillanat alatt eltűnt.
The memory came back to him in a flash.
Learner examples
It was done in a flash.
Egy pillanat alatt kész lett.
She left in a flash.
Egy pillanat alatt elment.
I remembered it in a flash.
Meaning
very short moment
Collocations
in a flash
|gone in a flash
Synonyms
instant (A moment without any delay.)
Antonyms
eternity (An extremely long or seemingly endless period of time.)
Themes
time
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very short time, like an instant.
A very short period of time; an instant.
VERB
B2
SLANG
5
Usage pattern:
to flash [someone]
He was arrested for flashing people in the park.
Őrizetbe vették, mert emberek előtt mutogatta magát a parkban.
Someone flashed the crowd during the concert.
Valaki a koncert alatt mutogatta magát a tömeg előtt.
She accused him of flashing her on the train.
Learner examples
He flashed people in the street.
Emberek előtt mutogatta magát az utcán.
The man was caught flashing in the park.
Rajtakapták a férfit, amint a parkban mutogatta magát.
She said he flashed her on the bus.
Meaning
expose body parts briefly in public
Collocations
flash someone
Synonyms
expose oneself (A more formal/legal term used especially in law enforcement contexts.)
Antonyms
cover up (To keep one's body parts hidden from view.)
Themes
social behaviour
|law
|body
Definition
To quickly show private parts of your body in public.
To briefly show one's private body parts in public, usually as a prank or for shock value.
Grammar
Dictionary form
flash
IPA
GB/flˈæʃ/
US/flˈæʃ/
Syllables & stress
flash (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (flash)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: flash
- Plural: flash, flashes
Verb
- Base: flash
- 3rd Person Singular: flashes
- Present Participle: flashing
- Past: flashed
Word family
Forms
flashes
noun
flashing
verb
flashed
verb
Related words
flashy
adjective
flashlight
noun
flashcard
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unflashy
adjective
Advanced or less common
flashback
noun B2
Expressions
flash back (to)
1/flˈæʃ bˈæk tə/
phrasal verb
recall past events suddenly and vividly
To suddenly remember something from the past very clearly.
Examples
- The smell of cookies flashed me back to my childhood.
- He flashed back to his days in the army.
flash forward (to)
1/flˈæʃ fˈɔɹwɚd tə/
phrasal verb
technical
depict future events out of sequence (storytelling)
To show or think about something that will happen later in time, often used in films or books.
Examples
- The movie flashes forward to ten years later.
- The story flashes forward to when they meet again.
flash through someone's mind
1/flˈæʃ θɹˈu sˈʌmwˌʌnz mˈaɪnd/
fixed phrase
occur suddenly as a thought or idea
To suddenly think of something for a short moment.
Examples
- An idea flashed through my mind while she was talking.
- Many memories flashed through his mind during the speech.
in a flash
1/ˈɪn ə flˈæʃ/
idiom
very quickly or suddenly
Very quickly; in a very short time.
Examples
- She was out the door in a flash.
- In a flash, he understood what she meant.