Word choice · B2
Drip, trickle, gush, seep, ooze
These verbs grade liquid by speed and by thickness. Drip is one drop at a time; trickle is a thin steady line; pour is heavy and continuous; gush is fast and forceful. Seep is slow movement through a material, and ooze is slow movement of something thick. Getting this right is the difference between a leak and a flood.
Which word, and why
- drip
one drop at a time
To fall in separate drops.
a dripping tap · drip onto the floor · drip-dry
- trickle
a thin, slow, continuous line
To flow in a small steady stream.
water trickled down · a trickle of visitors · trickle out
- pour
heavy and continuous
To flow, or make something flow, in a large steady stream.
pouring rain · pour a drink · pour out of the stadium
- gush
fast, forceful, large amount at once
To flow out suddenly and in quantity.
blood gushed · water gushed out · a gushing torrent
- seep
slowly, through a material
To pass gradually through something that is meant to hold liquid back.
damp seeped through · seep into the soil · seep out
- ooze
slow, and the liquid is thick
To flow out slowly and thickly.
blood oozed · oozing mud · ooze confidence
- spill
liquid escapes its container by accident
To let liquid fall out of a container when you did not mean to.
spill your coffee · a spilt drink · spill over
- splash
liquid strikes a surface and scatters
To throw liquid about noisily.
splash water on your face · splashed with mud · a splash of colour
- leak
escapes through a hole that should not be there
To let liquid or gas in or out through a fault.
a leaking roof · the tank leaked · leak information
- spurt
a sudden short burst under pressure
To come out in a sudden forceful jet.
blood spurted · water spurted from the hose
Now use it
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Item 1 of 10
The bathroom tap all night — one drop every few seconds.