What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
squirt
Example
The chef squirted some lemon juice onto the fish. [squirt: verb]
Example
A squirt of hand sanitizer is enough to kill germs. [squirt: noun]
gush
Example
The water gushed out of the broken pipe. [gushed: verb]
Example
She couldn't stop the tears from gushing out of her eyes. [gushing: gerund or present participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Squirt is more commonly used in everyday language than gush. Squirt is often used to describe the act of squirting liquid from a container or bottle, while gush is used to describe a sudden and uncontrolled release of liquid.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between squirt and gush?
Both squirt and gush are informal words, but squirt is more versatile and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, while gush is more informal and is typically used in casual conversations.