# wash

/ˈwɑʃ/ (US) · /wˈɒʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wash
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 2. to be believable

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to be accepted as true or good enough when someone gives an excuse.

For teachers: to withstand scrutiny or be accepted as valid. Usually used in the negative with 'won't' or 'doesn't'.

- He said he was late because of a dragon, but that excuse won't wash with the boss.
- The politician's claims of ignorance regarding the scandal simply did not wash with the investigative committee.

### 3. to carry away by water

verb · CEFR B2

when moving water moves or removes something from its place.

For teachers: to carry away, erode, or remove by the force of moving water.

- The heavy rain started to wash the soil away from the garden.
- The coastal road was partially washed away during the severe storm surge last winter.

### 4. laundry

noun · CEFR A2

a load of clothes that are being cleaned or need to be cleaned.

For teachers: a quantity of clothes or linens washed at one time; laundry.

- I have two loads of wash to do this weekend.
- She hung the fresh wash on the line to dry in the afternoon breeze.

### 5. a balanced result

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a situation where the good and bad things are equal, so there is no change.

For teachers: a situation in which gains and losses or advantages and disadvantages are equivalent, resulting in no net change.

- The extra pay was nice, but the higher taxes made it a wash.
- While the new strategy increased efficiency, the implementation costs were so high that the fiscal year ended as a wash.

### 6. art technique

noun · CEFR B2

a thin, watery layer of paint used in a picture.

For teachers: a visual arts technique involving a thin, translucent layer of pigment or ink spread over a surface.

- The artist used a blue wash to create the sky in the background.
- The watercolourist applied a delicate grey wash to suggest the misty atmosphere of the morning docks.

### 7. water turbulence

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the disturbed water or air left behind a moving boat or plane.

For teachers: the turbulent air or water caused by the passage of a vessel or aircraft.

- The small boat rocked in the wash of the passing ferry.
- Pilots must be careful to avoid the wake wash of larger aircraft during takeoff and landing.

## Examples

- I need to give the car a quick wash.
- After a long day of hiking, a hot wash was the only thing on his mind.
- The artist applied a delicate blue wash over the canvas to create the illusion of a vast, clear sky before adding the finer details of the landscape.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.