Word
flashback
Phoneticsflash·back, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfɫæʃˌbæk/
UK/flˈæʃbæk/
Definitions
01in a story or film
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Theater
n. a scene in a movie or book that shows something that happened in the past.
n. a narrative device that interrupts the chronological flow of a story to depict events that occurred at an earlier time.
“The movie uses a flashback to show how the two main characters first met in college.”
“The director employs a series of black-and-white flashbacks to provide essential context for the protagonist's current motivations.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02a traumatic memory
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Medicine
n. a sudden and very clear memory of a bad event from the past that feels like it is happening again.
n. a vivid, involuntary recurrence of a past traumatic experience, often accompanied by intense emotional or physical distress.
“The loud noise gave the soldier a flashback to his time in the war.”
“Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder may suffer from intrusive flashbacks that make it difficult to distinguish the present from past trauma.”
Synonyms
03drug-related
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Medicine Technical
n. feeling the effects of a drug again, long after you have stopped taking it.
n. the recurrence of the effects of a hallucinogenic substance, such as LSD, well after the initial pharmacological effects have subsided.
“He experienced a strange flashback several months after he had stopped using the drug.”
“Clinical literature describes drug-induced flashbacks as spontaneous sensory distortions that can occur without warning during periods of sobriety.”
Real-World Examples
“Flashbacks to 15 years earlier show what happened after the night they were taken from their parents.” “A woman described suffering horrific flashbacks and claimed it had taken 40 minutes for a fire engine to respond to her emergency call.” Etymology
From flash + back.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/flashback