splinter
5 synonyms for splinter, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A thin, sharp fragment broken off from a larger piece, often wood.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A thin, sharp fragment broken off from a larger piece, often wood.
“She got a splinter in her thumb from the old fence.”
How to use splinter
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
splinter group
splinter faction
get a splinter
Etymology
From Middle English splinter, from Middle Dutch splinter, built from splint plus the -er suffix.
Full origin of splinter →Frequently asked questions
What does “splinter” mean?
The word “splinter” means a thin, sharp fragment broken off from a larger piece, often wood. In plain terms, a sharp broken-off fragment, or to break (literally or figuratively) into smaller pieces.
How do you pronounce “splinter”?
“Splinter” is pronounced SPLIHN-tuh (/ˈsplɪn.tə/ in IPA).
How do you use “splinter” in a sentence?
Here is “splinter” used in a sentence: “She got a splinter in her thumb from the old fence.”
What is another word for “splinter”?
Words with a similar meaning to “splinter” include sliver, shard, spelk and spill.
What part of speech is “splinter”?
Depending on how it is used, “splinter” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “splinter” come from?
The word “splinter” comes from Middle English. From Middle English splinter, from Middle Dutch splinter, built from splint plus the -er suffix.
Is “splinter” a common word?
“Splinter” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C2 level.
How many meanings does “splinter” have?
“Splinter” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a thin, sharp fragment broken off from a larger piece, often wood.
