to slap on
55
4.5
- phrasal verb
- /slæp ɑn/
- Informal
- We'll slap on these UPC labels like so.
- slap on a coat
- slap on the paint
- slap on some cologne
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Watch on YouTubeOK, let's let's slap on a little eyeshadow.
- OK, let's let's slap on a little eyeshadow.
- And then the camera moves after it shows you a number of these lids being slapped on the cans.
- And, you know, a lot of stuff, a lot of the things that get tariffs slapped on them are things like aluminum and steel.
- It's just has different sort of layers of bullshit slapped on it.
- And I had to also ecstatically slap on Cologne all over my body.
- I am Francis and I can be whatever I want to be regardless of like what society tries to slap on me.
Examples
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Time to slap on the barbecue sauce, boy!
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OK, let's let's slap on a little eyeshadow.
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Whereas an artist would just slap on some clay on each side, you know, and does it, maybe, the easier way.
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And I had to also ecstatically slap on Cologne all over my body.
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Alright, I'm going to slap on my eye primer and my my brows.
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So after this, I think I'll just slap on some mascara and a lip and I will join you with the finished look for real this time.
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She'd set up three easels and went from one to another, slapping on paint and doing a similar picture of boats in a harbor on each canvas.
Fiction book (1994) -
Before going out in the sun, don't forget to slap on some sunscreen to protect your skin.
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She quickly slapped on some cream after her shower to keep her skin moisturized.
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When painting the fence, it's best to slap on a coat of primer before the top color.
Synonyms
110
1.3
Put a substance onto a surface to cover it
3
8.1
To cover a surface roughly with a thick sticky substance
1
7.2
To put a quick layer of something like sunscreen or paint on without care
1
4.2
Put paint on a surface quickly without trying to be exact
1
9.9
To smear something roughly with paint, plaster, or another soft wet material
Antonyms
How Careful
73
3.3
110
1.3
26
2.8
- Informal
55
4.5
69
3.7
688
2.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal meanings of 'slap' (a quick, forceful contact) and 'on' (onto a surface) readily suggest putting something onto a surface quickly, so the sense 'apply something quickly' is a plausible compositional/metaphorical extension. However, the conventionalized use for applying substances (paint, cream) and the nuance of carelessness are partly idiomatic and may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without exposure.
Etymology
Slap on comes from the picture of someone giving a quick slap to put something on a surface, like paint or cream, without much care. That's why it means 'to apply something quickly or carelessly'.