Sprinkle — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈspriŋ-kəl/ sprin·kle

Meaning & Definition of Sprinkle

Sprinkle (verb)

  1. to scatter in drops or particles
  2. to scatter over
  3. to scatter at intervals in or among, dot

Sprinkle (noun)

  1. the act or an instance of sprinkling; especially, a light rain
  2. sprinkling
  3. small particles of candy used as a topping (as on ice cream), jimmies

Sprinkle (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a light or fine rain

    "decided it was not worth carrying an umbrella for just a sprinkle"

    similar: drizzle, mist, mizzle
    related: precipitation, rainfall, shower
    near: cloudburst, deluge, downpour, storm, rainstorm, thunderstorm, monsoon

  2. a small number

    "received only a sprinkle of suggestions for the name of the school mascot"

    similar: couple, few, handful, scatter, scattering, smatter, smattering, sprinkling
    related: minority, atom, crumb, fragment, grain, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, particle, scrap, shred, tittle, whit
    opposite: army, crowd, flock, gazillion, horde, host, jillion, kazillion, legion, loads, many, mountain, multitude, oodles, scads, thousands, zillion
    near: majority, most, abundance, excess, plenty, surplus, deal, gobs, heap, lot, mass, much, peck, pile, plenitude, pot, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, slather, slew, stack, wad, wealth

Sprinkle (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on

    "sprinkle the newly seeded lawn with water"

    similar: bestrew, dot, pepper, scatter, sow, spot, spray, strew
    related: blanket, drizzle, dust, stud, dapple, fleck, speckle, stipple, bespatter, spatter

  2. to mark with small spots especially unevenly

    "sprinkled the cake with bits of coconut"

    similar: blotch, dapple, dot, fleck, freckle, marble, mottle, pepper, shoot, speck, speckle, splotch, spot, stipple
    related: blot, dye, stain, band, bar, streak, stripe, intersperse, set, stud, bespatter, spatter

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Sprinkle

The most common words with a similar meaning to Sprinkle:

drizzle, mist, mizzle, couple, few, handful, scatter, scattering, smatter, smattering, sprinkling, bestrew, dot, pepper, sow, spot, spray, strew, blotch, dapple, fleck, freckle, marble, mottle, shoot, speck, speckle, splotch, stipple

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Sprinkle

Words with the opposite meaning of Sprinkle:

army, crowd, flock, gazillion, horde, host, jillion, kazillion, legion, loads, many, mountain, multitude, oodles, scads, thousands, zillion

Related Words for Sprinkle

precipitation, rainfall, shower, minority, atom, crumb, fragment, grain, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, particle, scrap, shred, tittle, whit, blanket, dust, stud, bespatter, spatter, blot, dye, stain, band, bar, streak, stripe, intersperse

Near Antonyms of Sprinkle

cloudburst, deluge, downpour, storm, rainstorm, thunderstorm, monsoon, majority, most, abundance, excess, plenty, surplus, deal, gobs, heap, lot, mass, much, peck, pile, plenitude, pot, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, slather, slew, stack

Word Forms of Sprinkle

Inflections: sprinkled, sprinkling

Derived words: sprinkler (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Sprinkle

Middle English sprenklen, sprinclen; akin to Middle High German spreckel, sprenkel spot

First known use: 14th centuryt

Frequently Asked Questions about Sprinkle

What does "Sprinkle" mean?

"Sprinkle" means to scatter in drops or particles. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to scatter in drops or particles. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Sprinkle"?

Other words for "Sprinkle" include drizzle, mist, mizzle, couple, few, handful, scatter and scattering. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Sprinkle" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Sprinkle"?

There are 60 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Sprinkle". Common alternatives include drizzle, mist, mizzle, couple, few, handful, scatter, scattering, smatter and smattering.

What is the opposite of "Sprinkle"?

Antonyms of "Sprinkle" include army, crowd, flock, gazillion, horde, host, jillion and kazillion. Near antonyms include cloudburst, deluge, downpour and storm.

How do you use "Sprinkle" in a sentence?

Examples of "Sprinkle" in a sentence: "decided it was not worth carrying an umbrella for just a sprinkle"; "received only a sprinkle of suggestions for the name of the school mascot"; "sprinkle the newly seeded lawn with water".

Is "Sprinkle" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Sprinkle" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Sprinkle"?

"Sprinkle" is pronounced /ˈspriŋ-kəl/ and divided into syllables as sprin·kle.

What is the origin of the word "Sprinkle"?

"Sprinkle" comes from Middle English sprenklen, sprinclen; akin to Middle High German spreckel, sprenkel spot. First known use: 14th centuryt.