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Synonyms

flashing

American  
[flash-ing] / ˈflæʃ ɪŋ /

noun

  1. Building Trades. pieces of sheet metal or the like used to cover and protect certain joints and angles, as where a roof comes in contact with a wall or chimney, especially against leakage.

  2. the act of creating an artificial flood in a conduit or stream, as in a sewer for cleansing it.

  3. Photography, Movies. the process of increasing film speed by exposing undeveloped film briefly to a weak light source before using it or of exposing photographic printing paper to reduce contrast.

flashing British  
/ ˈflæʃɪŋ /

noun

  1. a weatherproof material, esp thin sheet metal, used to cover the valleys between the slopes of a roof, the junction between a chimney and a roof, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of flashing

First recorded in 1775–85; flash + -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Wilding, an economist, looked at the two main gauges the Federal Reserve uses to help set monetary policy, which have been flashing quite different signals.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

When I think of Donald Trump, I envision a blimp flying overhead with huge flashing lights blazing “The world is yours!”

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2026

The brown house in the southwestern Los Angeles suburb was cordoned off, glowing red and blue under flashing police lights.

From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026

Warning lights are flashing to suggest Gadd should brace for impact as his latest story is told, as are early positive reviews.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

“One night...there was a tremendous storm blowing, lightning was flashing and flares were still going up,” British rifleman Henry Williamson recalled.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.