Flash vs. Quicksilver — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 18, 2024
Flash refers to a sudden burst of light or a quick moment, while quicksilver, another name for mercury, symbolizes rapid, fluid motion and is also used metaphorically to describe something or someone that is quick and elusive.
Difference Between Flash and Quicksilver
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Flash primarily describes a sudden, brief burst of light or a quick, instantaneous event. It can also refer to a brief, intense occurrence of something, such as an idea or memory. For example, a camera flash or a flash of inspiration. Quicksilver, scientifically known as mercury, is a liquid metal known for its fast, fluid movement. It is often used metaphorically to describe something or someone that is quick, unpredictable, and hard to catch. For example, someone might describe a nimble athlete as having quicksilver movements.
While flash emphasizes a sudden, brief, and often bright occurrence, quicksilver focuses on speed, fluidity, and elusiveness. Flash is more associated with light and moments, whereas quicksilver is tied to the properties of the element mercury and metaphorically to quick, elusive behavior.
In everyday language, flash can describe anything that happens suddenly and quickly, such as a "flash of lightning" or a "flash sale." Quicksilver, less commonly used, often describes something inherently fluid and unpredictable, such as "quicksilver reflexes."
Comparison Chart
Definition
A sudden burst of light or a quick, brief moment
Another name for mercury, symbolizing rapid, fluid motion
Focus
Suddenness and brevity
Speed, fluidity, and elusiveness
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Common Usage
Describing light or quick events
Metaphorically for something or someone quick and elusive
Example Sentence
The camera's flash was blinding in the dark room.
The athlete moved with quicksilver grace on the field.
Associations
Light, moments, speed
Mercury, fluidity, unpredictability
Compare with Definitions
Flash
An instantaneous moment or event.
In a flash, the magician disappeared from the stage.
Quicksilver
Metaphorically, something fast, fluid, and elusive.
His quicksilver mind moved from one idea to the next effortlessly.
Flash
A sudden display of emotion or thought.
A flash of anger crossed his face.
Quicksilver
Describing rapid, unpredictable movement.
The quicksilver stream flowed swiftly over the rocks.
Flash
Shine in a bright but brief, sudden, or intermittent way
Lightning flashed overhead
An irritating neon sign flashed on and off
Quicksilver
Another name for mercury, a liquid metal.
The thermometer contains quicksilver to measure temperature.
Flash
Move or pass very quickly
A sudden thought flashed through his mind
A look of terror flashed across Kirov's face
Quicksilver
A characteristic of being highly mobile and changeable.
Her quicksilver temperament made her difficult to predict.
Flash
Display (information or an image) suddenly on a television or computer screen or electronic sign, typically briefly or repeatedly
The screen flashed up a menu
Quicksilver
See mercury.
Flash
A sudden brief burst of bright light
A flash of lightning
Quicksilver
Unpredictable; mercurial
"a quicksilver character, cool and willful at one moment, utterly fragile the next" (Sven Birkerts).
Flash
A sudden or brief manifestation or occurrence of something
She had a flash of inspiration
Quicksilver
The metal mercury.
Flash
A camera attachment that produces a brief very bright light, used for taking photographs in poor light
An electronic flash
If in any doubt use flash
Quicksilver
(colloquial) An amalgam of mercury and tin applied to the backs of mirrors, quicksilvering.
Flash
A platform for producing and displaying animation and video in web browsers.
Quicksilver
Unpredictable, erratic or fickle; mercurial.
Flash
Ostentatious stylishness or display of wealth
Workwear represents a move away from Eighties designer flash
Quicksilver
To overlay with quicksilver.
Flash
Excess plastic or metal forced between facing surfaces as two halves of a mould close up, forming a thin projection on the finished object
Flap wheels are ideal for grinding off fibreglass flash
Quicksilver
To treat with quicksilver.
Flash
A rush of water, especially down a weir to take a boat over shallows.
Quicksilver
The metal mercury; - so called from its resemblance to liquid silver.
Flash
A water-filled hollow formed by subsidence, especially any of those due to rock salt extraction in or near Cheshire in central England
Sandpits and flashes also attract visiting birds
Quicksilver
A heavy silvery toxic univalent and bivalent metallic element; the only metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures
Flash
Ostentatiously stylish or expensive
A flash new car
Quicksilver
Liable to sudden unpredictable change;
Erratic behavior
Fickle weather
Mercurial twists of temperament
A quicksilver character, cool and willful at one moment, utterly fragile the next
Flash
Relating to the language used by criminals or prostitutes.
Quicksilver
Used in literature to describe agility and speed.
The dancer's quicksilver movements captivated the audience.
Flash
To burst forth into or as if into flame.
Flash
To give off light or be lighted in sudden or intermittent bursts.
Flash
To appear or occur suddenly
The image flashed onto the screen.
Flash
To move or proceed rapidly
The cars flashed by.
Flash
To hang up a phone line momentarily, as when using call waiting.
Flash
(Slang) To think of or remember something suddenly
Flashed on that time we got caught in the storm.
Flash
(Slang) To expose oneself in an indecent manner.
Flash
To cause (light) to appear suddenly or in intermittent bursts.
Flash
To cause to burst into flame.
Flash
To reflect (light).
Flash
To cause to reflect light from (a surface).
Flash
To make known or signal by flashing lights.
Flash
To communicate or display at great speed
Flashed the news to the world capitals.
Flash
To exhibit briefly.
Flash
To hang up (a phone line) momentarily, as when using call waiting.
Flash
To display ostentatiously; flaunt.
Flash
To fill suddenly with water.
Flash
To cover with a thin protective layer.
Flash
A sudden, brief, intense display of light.
Flash
A sudden perception
A flash of insight.
Flash
A split second; an instant
I'll be on my way in a flash.
Flash
A brief news dispatch or transmission.
Flash
(Slang) Gaudy or ostentatious display
"The antique flash and trash of an older southern California have given way to a sleeker age of cultural hip" (Newsweek).
Flash
A flashlight.
Flash
Instantaneous illumination for photography
Photograph by flash.
Flash
A device, such as a flashbulb, flashgun, or flash lamp, used to produce such illumination.
Flash
(Slang) The pleasurable sensation that accompanies the use of a drug; a rush.
Flash
(Archaic) The language or cant of thieves, tramps, or underworld figures.
Flash
Happening suddenly or very quickly
Flash freezing.
Flash
(Slang) Ostentatious; showy
A flash car.
Flash
Of or relating to figures of quarterly economic growth released by the government and subject to later revision.
Flash
Of or relating to photography using instantaneous illumination.
Flash
(Computers) Of or relating to flash memory.
Flash
(Archaic) Of or relating to thieves, swindlers, and underworld figures.
Flash
(transitive) To cause to shine briefly or intermittently.
He flashed the light at the water, trying to see what made the noise.
Flash
(intransitive) To blink; to shine or illuminate intermittently.
The light flashed on and off.
Flash
(intransitive) To be visible briefly.
The scenery flashed by quickly.
Flash
(transitive) To make visible briefly.
A number will be flashed on the screen.
The special agents flashed their badges as they entered the building.
She flashed me a smile from the car window.
Flash
To expose one's intimate body part or piece of clothing, often momentarily. Contrast streak.
She flashed a vocalist at a rock concert.
Her skirt was so short that she flashed her underpants as she was getting out of her car.
Flash
(figurative) To break forth like a sudden flood of light; to show a momentary brilliance.
Flash
To flaunt; to display in a showy manner.
He flashed a wad of hundred-dollar bills.
Flash
To communicate quickly.
The news services flashed the news about the end of the war to all corners of the globe.
To flash a message along the telephone wires;
To flash conviction on the mind
Flash
To move, or cause to move, suddenly.
Flash forward to the present day.
Flash
(transitive) To telephone a person, only allowing the phone to ring once, in order to request a call back.
Susan flashed Jessica, and then Jessica called her back, because Susan didn't have enough credit on her phone to make the call.
Flash
To evaporate suddenly. flash evaporation.}}
Flash
To climb (a route) successfully on the first attempt.
Flash
To write to the memory of (an updatable component such as a BIOS chip or games cartridge).
In order to flash a custom ROM to a phone, the boot loader must be unlocked first.
Flash
To cover with a thin layer, as objects of glass with glass of a different colour.
Flash
To expand (blown glass) into a disc.
Flash
(transitive) To send by some startling or sudden means.
Flash
(intransitive) To burst out into violence.
Flash
(juggling) To perform a flash.
Flash
(metallurgy) To release the pressure from a pressurized vessel.
Flash
To trick up in a showy manner.
Flash
To strike and throw up large bodies of water from the surface; to splash.
Flash
A sudden, short, temporary burst of light.
Flash
A very short amount of time.
Flash
A flashlight; an electric torch.
Flash
(figuratively) A sudden and brilliant burst, as of genius or wit.
Flash
(uncountable) Pizzazz, razzle-dazzle.
Flash
Material left around the edge of a moulded part at the parting line of the mould.
Flash
The strips of bright cloth or buttons worn around the collars of market traders.
Flash
(juggling) A pattern where each prop is thrown and caught only once.
Flash
(linguistics) A language, created by a minority to maintain cultural identity, that cannot be understood by the ruling class.
Flash
(photography) camera flash
Flash
(archaic) A preparation of capsicum, burnt sugar, etc., for colouring liquor to make it look stronger.
Flash
(military) A form of military insignia.
I just got my first commando flash.
Flash
Clipping of flash memory
The hybrid drive has 500 gigabytes of hard disk space for bulk storage and 2 gigabytes of high-speed flash for caching frequently-accessed files.
Flash
Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genera Artipe, Deudorix and Rapala.
Flash
A tattoo flash example design on paper to give an idea of a possible tattoo.
Flash
The sudden sensation of being "high" after taking a recreational drug.
Flash
(dated) A newsflash.
Flash
A brief exposure or making visible (of a smile, badge, etc).
Flash
The (intentional or unintentional) exposure of an intimate body part or undergarment in public.
Panty flash
Flash
A pool.
Flash
(engineering) A reservoir and sluiceway beside a navigable stream, just above a shoal, so that the stream may pour in water as boats pass, and thus bear them over the shoal.
Flash
Expensive-looking and demanding attention; stylish; showy.
Flash
Having plenty of ready money.
Flash
Liable to show off expensive possessions or money.
Flash
Occurring very rapidly, almost instantaneously.
Flash
Relating to thieves and vagabonds.
The flash language: thieves' cant or slang
Flash notes: counterfeit banknotes
Flash
To burst or break forth with a sudden and transient flood of flame and light; as, the lighting flashes vividly; the powder flashed.
Flash
To break forth, as a sudden flood of light; to burst instantly and brightly on the sight; to show a momentary brilliancy; to come or pass like a flash.
Names which have flashed and thundered as the watch words of unnumbered struggles.
The object is made to flash upon the eye of the mind.
A thought flashed through me, which I clothed in act.
Flash
To burst forth like a sudden flame; to break out violently; to rush hastily.
Every hourHe flashes into one gross crime or other.
Flash
To send out in flashes; to cause to burst forth with sudden flame or light.
The chariot of paternal Deity,Flashing thick flames.
Flash
To convey as by a flash; to light up, as by a sudden flame or light; as, to flash a message along the wires; to flash conviction on the mind.
Flash
To trick up in a showy manner.
Limning and flashing it with various dyes.
Flash
To strike and throw up large bodies of water from the surface; to splash.
He rudely flashed the waves about.
Flash
A sudden burst of light; a flood of light instantaneously appearing and disappearing; a momentary blaze; as, a flash of lightning.
Flash
A sudden and brilliant burst, as of wit or genius; a momentary brightness or show.
The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind.
No striking sentiment, no flash of fancy.
Flash
The time during which a flash is visible; an instant; a very brief period.
The Persians and Macedonians had it for a flash.
Flash
A preparation of capsicum, burnt sugar, etc., for coloring and giving a fictitious strength to liquors.
Flash
A lamp for providing intense momentary light to take a photograph; as, to take a picture without a flash.
Flash
Same as flashlight.
Flash
A short news item providing recently received and usually preliminary information about an event that is considered important enough to interrupt normal broadcasting or other news delivery services; also called a news flash or bulletin.
Flash
Slang or cant of thieves and prostitutes.
Flash
A pool.
Flash
A reservoir and sluiceway beside a navigable stream, just above a shoal, so that the stream may pour in water as boats pass, and thus bear them over the shoal.
Flash
Showy, but counterfeit; cheap, pretentious, and vulgar; as, flash jewelry; flash finery.
Flash
Wearing showy, counterfeit ornaments; vulgarly pretentious; as, flash people; flash men or women; - applied especially to thieves, gamblers, and prostitutes that dress in a showy way and wear much cheap jewelry.
Flash
A sudden intense burst of radiant energy
Flash
A momentary brightness
Flash
A short vivid experience;
A flash of emotion swept over him
The flashings of pain were a warning
Flash
A sudden brilliant understanding;
He had a flash of intuition
Flash
A very short time (as the time it takes the eye blink or the heart to beat);
If I had the chance I'd do it in a flash
Flash
A burst of light used to communicate or illuminate
Flash
A short news announcement concerning some on-going news story
Flash
A bright patch of color used for decoration or identification;
Red flashes adorned the airplane
A flash sewn on his sleeve indicated the unit he belonged to
Flash
A lamp for providing momentary light to take a photograph
Flash
Gleam or glow intermittently;
The lights were flashing
Flash
Appear briefly;
The headlines flashed on the screen
Flash
Display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously;
He showed off his new sports car
Flash
Make known or cause to appear with great speed;
The latest intelligence is flashed to all command posts
Flash
Run or move very quickly or hastily;
She dashed into the yard
Flash
Expose or show briefly;
He flashed a $100 bill
Flash
Protect by covering with a thin sheet of metal;
Flash the roof
Flash
Emit a brief burst of light;
A shooting star flashed and was gone
Flash
Tastelessly showy;
A flash car
A flashy ring
Garish colors
A gaudy costume
Loud sport shirts
A meretricious yet stylish book
Tawdry ornaments
Flash
A sudden burst of light.
The flash of lightning illuminated the sky.
Flash
A brief, quick occurrence of something.
She had a flash of inspiration during the meeting.
Flash
A quick, momentary view or glimpse.
I caught a flash of the celebrity as she walked by.
Common Curiosities
Is "flash" associated with light?
Yes, flash is commonly associated with a burst of light, such as a camera flash or lightning.
Is "quicksilver" used metaphorically?
Yes, quicksilver is often used metaphorically to describe something or someone that is quick and unpredictable.
What does "quicksilver" mean?
Quicksilver is another name for mercury, symbolizing rapid, fluid motion and is also used metaphorically to describe something or someone quick and elusive.
What is an example of "quicksilver" in a sentence?
e.g., The performer had quicksilver reflexes, moving gracefully across the stage.
What is an example of "flash" in a sentence?
e.g., The news spread in a flash through social media.
Is "flash" commonly used in everyday language?
Yes, flash is commonly used to describe anything that happens suddenly and quickly.
Can "flash" describe an idea?
Yes, flash can describe a sudden, brief occurrence of an idea or inspiration.
Is "quicksilver" commonly used in everyday language?
Quicksilver is less commonly used and is more often found in literary or metaphorical contexts.
Can "quicksilver" describe a thought process?
Yes, quicksilver can metaphorically describe a rapid and fluid thought process.
What does "flash" mean?
Flash refers to a sudden burst of light or a quick, brief moment.
Can "quicksilver" describe a person's movement?
Yes, quicksilver can describe a person's movement as rapid and fluid.
Does "flash" imply duration?
Flash implies a very brief duration, something that happens almost instantaneously.
Are "flash" and "quicksilver" interchangeable?
No, flash and quicksilver are not interchangeable as they describe different qualities; flash focuses on suddenness and light, while quicksilver emphasizes rapid, fluid motion.
Does "quicksilver" imply stability?
No, quicksilver implies fluidity and unpredictability, often lacking stability.
Can "flash" describe an emotion?
Yes, flash can describe a sudden display of emotion, such as a flash of anger.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
