dabble

verb

dab·​ble ˈda-bəl How to pronounce dabble (audio)
dabbled; dabbling ˈda-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce dabble (audio)
Synonyms of dabblenext

intransitive verb

1
: to work or involve oneself superficially or intermittently especially in a secondary activity or interest
dabbles in art
2
a
: to paddle, splash, or play in or as if in water
b
: to reach with the bill to the bottom of shallow water in order to obtain food

transitive verb

: to wet by splashing or by little dips or strokes : spatter

Examples of dabble in a Sentence

The ducks dabbled in the stream. She sat by the pool, dabbling her feet in the cool water.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Florida isn’t the only state Obama has dabbled with in the midterm elections. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2026 Those who dabble will tell you to watch his campy breakout hits (Hairspray, Cry-Baby). — Daisy Jones, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026 Against the backdrop of seemingly endless violence, artists banded together and dabbled in soul, disco, and jazz as a salve to their suffering. — Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026 As Cathy transitions into Madame Kate and embraces her newfound power and wealth, Thorisdottir imagined Kate would also be dabbling in the newly purchasable makeup of the early 1900s. — Katie Gunderman, Allure, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dabble

Word History

Etymology

perhaps frequentative of dab entry 2

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of dabble was in 1557

Rhymes for dabble

See All Rhymes for dabble

Browse Nearby Words

dabber
dabble
dabbler
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dabble. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

dabble

verb
dab·​ble ˈdab-əl How to pronounce dabble (audio)
dabbled; dabbling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce dabble (audio)
1
: to wet by splashing : spatter
2
a
: to paddle or play in or as if in water
b
: to reach with the bill to the bottom of shallow water to obtain food
ducks dabbled in the pond
3
: to work or concern oneself lightly or without deep involvement
they dabble in poetry
dabbler
-(ə-)lər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dabble

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dabble

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All